Joey Wheeler, At Your Service
by Chapt3rFour
Summary: Joey is taking a year off before college to save up enough money to pay the fees. Unfortunately for him, he gets hired by the worst possible employer: Seto Kaiba. How will Joey manage as being the infamous CEO's housekeeper? !Puppyshipping!
1. Chapter 1: Wanted, One Housekeeper

**A/N: This is my first attempt at multi-chapter Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic, so I took a stab at it and decided to write Puppyshipping. I've tried hard to keep everyone in character, but it's damn near impossible to write fluff without Seto being OOC. XD Anyway, enjoy! ~ **

**~ I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. ~**

**Chapter One – Wanted, One Housekeeper**

Seto Kaiba gave an irritable sigh as he closed his laptop shut. It had been a long, tiresome day in the office, and he had been looking foreword to coming home and spending some quality time with his beloved little brother. Unfortunately, when he had just settled down to watch a movie with said brother, the CEO received an urgent call from his frantic secretary, and his evening at home went down the toilet.

One headache, three strong coffees and several hours later, he had managed to somewhat solve the problem. His ideal Friday evening hadn't exactly gotten off to a good start – even Seto Kaiba liked to sit back and relax at times. He may be a workaholic by nature, but he was also human, and for all his industrious efforts, he felt like he deserved a break every once in a while, however small it may be.

He gave a tired sigh and leaned back in his home office chair. How many hours of sleep did he get last night? Four? Five? He was literally running on empty, and he wasn't exactly sure how much longer he'd last like this. A headache that had formed several hours ago was now pounding worse than ever. Pressing a warm hand to his forehead, the brunet closed his eyes, hoping that if he lay still enough it would just disappear. He had been sitting there like that for only a few minutes when the door opened. Kaiba didn't need to look to know it was Mokuba, and he could sense the younger boy wasn't happy. As he walked over to the desk, Kaiba opened his eyes and sat up a little straighter in his chair.

Mokuba stopped in front of his desk and sighed with irritation. "It's one am."

The CEO, taking it as his cue to leave his office, stood up and stretched. "I know," he replied curtly.

The raven haired teen rolled his eyes. "Seto, I'm not stupid," He folded his arms over his chest and gave a quick glance over of the CEO, taking note of his tired eyes and the pallor of his skin. "You're not sleeping enough," he said finally, eyes pleadingly looking into Seto's blue orbs.

The older Kaiba brother allowed himself a rare chuckle. "Mokuba, you sound like a scolding parent. I'm fine." He walked around his desk and placed a hand on his brother's thin shoulder. "I know you're worried, but-"

"We need a housekeeper."

Kaiba blinked, not showing his surprise. "A _what_?" _Where the hell did that come from?_ Knowing Mokuba, this was the beginning of one of his typical master plans, which – strangely enough – he always gotten his way with.

The younger nodded, his eyes shining with an expression Kaiba often found mirrored in himself. "You heard me. A housekeeper. This place needs a good clean, and you need someone around here to help..." His expression hardened even further as he added, "You can't do everything yourself, Seto. One day, you'll realise that and it'll be too late."

The older brother raised his eyebrow at the smaller boy. _Where in the world did he get this stuff from...?_ "Mokuba," he firmly said, "We're Kaibas. We are independent and strong. We don't _need_ a housekeeper. This isn't bloody _Wuthering Heights_. We're managing just fine as it is."

As if waiting for him to say this, Mokuba took his brother silently by the hand and pulled him away from the room. After several minutes, Seto realised he was being led downstairs. Mokuba twisted and turned through the hallways, eventually pushing open the door to their living room. It came to light the mess that had accumulated; dust on furniture, clothes strewn over backs of chairs, magazines lying around, DVDs scattered everywhere…

"See?" The younger brother walked in and nudged aside a jacket – obviously not his – with his foot and then proceeded to smirk at the CEO's expression; a mixture of sheer disgust and horror.

Seto gave a glance around the room, feeling somewhat ashamed that he'd neglected his own home so badly. "Get the cook to clean it," he said eventually, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You fired him, remember? Yesterday, after dinner."

_Damn… _"Oh yeah."

Mokuba snorted indignantly and turned away from the mess to face his brother. Suddenly, his expression was grave, making him look older and more mature than usual. "Seto, I _know_ that call you took earlier wasn't Kaiba Corp related. It was about our personal funds, wasn't it?"

Kaiba bit his lip gently; Mokuba was right. His secretary had called him about some business Seto had privately conducted, independent of Kaiba Corp. The situation turned out sticky and difficult, and Seto had been at his wits end trying to appease the family with which he was dealing with. "It's nothing to worry about Mokuba," he replied, a little too forcefully. "I've got it sorted."

Mokuba was a sharp kid. He caught onto his brother's business dealings quickly, and was well-informed with what went on at KaibaCorp. By the sheer amount of hours Kaiba was spending on the phone to directors and at the KaibaCorp headquarters, he'd never have time to just be at home.

"Seto," Mokuba said again, this time his voice soft and caring, "We need someone to keep this place in order. You're only human, and one day you'll realize there isn't enough time in the day for KaibaCorp, our home and me." He caught his brother's eye, noting the guilt plainly written all over his face. Playing the 'brother' card always seemed to aways work on Seto. Knowing that he had ultimately won his case, the teen smirked and asked, "Shall I put the ad in the paper or online?"

"Both," Seto grunted in defeat, "Post some around the town, just in case…" He pretended to ignore Mokuba's victorious smirk and stalked off to his bedroom. He closed the door behind him as soon as he arrived and stood for several minutes, back to the door, thinking of what the hell had just happened. _Somehow, _he thought, _my brother is an evil genius of manipulation…_

Groaning at the thought, the CEO pressed his hand to his closed eyes. His headache had gotten worse, now an accumulation of work and home stress – seeing the state of his house had just about depressed him for a month. The best remedy for one of Seto's infamous stress headaches was a hot bath, so he made his way to his en suite bathroom and ran the water until it was nearly full to the top. Baths always reminded him of his childhood… His childhood, that is, before the orphanage. When his mother - whom he couldn't remember no matter how hard he tried – had run a warm bath for him one winter night. If he cast his mind back far enough, he could still remember the smell of the irresistible lavender bath wash and his own tinkling laughter as he made bubble beards and splashed water around…

Seto stopped his trail of thoughts. It was useless to dwell on the past. He couldn't change it. No one could. He brought himself back to the relatively safe, dependable present time, and the current crisis on hand was brought back to his attention: a housekeeper.

_Damn it - Mokuba was right_, he thought as he stepped into the warm water. _He was always right!_ It scared Seto slightly, if he had to be honest. While he was the older, more independent brother, Mokuba had learned from him, noted his mistakes and copied his better actions. Seto may be the leading young entrepreneur of his time, but Mokuba had grown up quickly in his footsteps and was as sharp, if even more so, than Seto.

Nevertheless, he was spot on about the housekeeper situation; they desperately needed one. The mansion was an obvious mess and someone who could fetch Kaiba's letters, organise his home affairs, cook his meals and to remind him when certain people called was starting to sound like a handy thing. Maybe then, situations like the one he had just spent hours fixing wouldn't occur…

Closing his eyes, Kaiba let his thoughts run away with the idea of finally coming home to a clean house, his affairs in order and being able to spend just one night bonding with his brother without the accursed phone ringing. He was slightly surprised by the time he'd stepped out of the bath that the idea had grown fondly on him…

**xXx**

"I'm telling ya Yugi, they'll hafta hire me. I'm perfect for the job!"

Joey Wheeler pressed his battered cell phone to his ear as his friend spoke to him. He was sitting in the office of a big Domino City business, awaiting news of his new potential employment. Joey had been searching for a job for weeks on end, and he had a good feeling about this one.

"Look, I don't doubt you," Yugi said, "Just please don't get your hopes up like the last fourteen-"

"Thirteen."

"-Sorry, _thirteen_ times." Joey could almost hear the amusement in his voice. "I gotta go, but promise you'll come over for my party next week." It wasn't a question but a statement. "Regardless of whether you get the job or not…"

"Yugi! Of course I will! I wouldn't miss it for the world, job or no job. See ya." As he hung up, the interviewer re-entered the room. Her greying hair was neatly pinned up behind her ears, not even a strand loose. Her pinched face and slender suit-trimmed figure gave her a business like appearance, and when she spoke, she exerted an air of superiority.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." She didn't sound very sorry, Joey noted. "Mr. Wheeler, I'm very glad you applied for a position, but I'm afraid we have to turn you down. The company just can't afford to take on any unqualified employees at the moment." She gave what he assumed was an apologetic smile. "Sorry to waste your time like this."

After some commiserations and goodbyes were uttered, Joey grimly left the building. He hadn't expected much; it was a big publishing company. They didn't need undergraduate idiots like him working there…

The doors of the building slid open and the cool September air hit him. He had been searching for a job all summer, but he still hadn't been hired anywhere. Waiters, cleaners, drivers, assistants… He tried everything. Luck was not on the blonde's side this weather.

"Hey! Joey!"

He raised his head to see Tristan standing at the end of the street, two steaming coffee cups in his hands. He smiled at the blonde and walked towards him.

"Well?" He said eagerly as he approached the blonde. "Did you get the job?"

Joey shook his head. "Nah. They said they weren't hiring at the moment…" He sighed glumly.

The brunette handed him the coffee and smiled. "It's a 'cheer up Joey, you'll find a job soon' present. Enjoy."

The blonde grinned despite himself. Tristan always made him smile. He wondered how much he'd see of him when they all went to college next week…

Tristan had surprisingly been accepted in a college in the northern region of the country, so he was moving away for the year. Yugi and Ryou were staying in Domino, but both being the smartest of the group, were taking demanding, challenging courses in the local University. Teá was working in the dance studio under the apprenticeship of the owner. Even Otogi, while not going to college, was taking a local business course.

Joey was the only one not studying anything.

It wasn't his choice. His father didn't have any interest in paying for his education, and his mother wasn't exactly rolling in money, especially after Serenity's operation and the eye specialist appointments that had followed it.

Taking things into his own hands, the blonde had taken a year off to work and earn his money for college, but he still hadn't got a job yet. Graduation was almost two months ago! His time was precious - and rapidly running out. Not only that, but there was a scarcity of jobs in Domino. What made matters worse was that Joey had promised himself that he would take any job, anywhere. No matter the consequences. However, luck didn't seem to be playing on his side recently.

"… So that Marik guy is bring some beer and- Hey! Are you even listening?" Tristan waved a hand impatiently in front of Joey's face.

"Sorry, I was just thinking…" He trailed off. His eye caught a little advertisement stuck in the window of the shop they were passing. He rushed over to take a look at the fancily typed note:

**Wanted, one housekeeper, M or F, to clean, cook and run errands-**

"... Housekeeper?" Tristan said, reading over Joey's shoulder. He stopped at the word 'errands'. "Dude, you're not seriously going to apply! It's a woman's job!"

"Stop being sexist!" Wheeler said, already whipping out his phone. "It clearly states _male or female_…." Wheeler looked genuinely excited for once. "Look at how much I'll get a week!" He pointed at a little T&C at the end of the note. "Whoever they are, they must be damn rich!" He located the number and dialled it hastily.

Tristan didn't bother saying anything in response. He simply rolled his eyes and drank the rest of his coffee. He had learned long ago that Joey was very spontaneous. It was also better, he had discovered, to let the blonde off with his impulsive decisions, because trying to stop him once he had his mind set was damn near impossible.

**A/N: Don't ya just love Joey's tenacity. XD I know the Japanese school system is completely different to many of the world's school systems but - for the stories sake - the school year starts in September and ends late May/Early June. :3 Anyway, thanks for reading. It shall start to get veeery interesting next chapter. ;)**

**~ Chapt3rFour**


	2. Chapter 2: Fourteenth Time Lucky

******~ I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. ~**

**Chapter Two – Fourteenth Time Lucky**

It was mid Saturday afternoon when Kaiba had received word from his assistant about the housekeeping job. Mokuba had placed the advertisements almost four days ago, and in that space of time, no one had called. He was starting to think that nobody wanted the position and that they would be forever housekeeper-less when his secretary called him and said there was – finally – someone interested in the job. Kaiba instructed her to hold the interview that very afternoon, as he wanted them to start as soon as possible. The CEO was far too busy to tend to such trifling things as a housekeeper interview, but he was sending Mokuba in his place, something which could either be a really good move, or a complete disaster. While he didn't doubt his brother's opinion, he was a lot more patient and lenient to employees. He'd probably employ anyone with a decent manner, even one of those idiots from Yugi Moto's group that he was so fond of…

Not that that would happen. Last Kaiba heard of them was that they had graduated, each of them obtaining good exam results for the future. He knew that Ryou was doing medicine, but apart from that, he hadn't the slightest clue. Kaiba hadn't contacted them or seen any of them since…

Not that he wanted to. He was a CEO, a millionaire and a big brother. He was far too good for those geeks anymore, though he had to admit, he had felt slightly sentimental at their graduation celebrations…

* * *

"_Aw c'mon Kaiba! Join in the celebrations!" Joey Wheeler slung an arm around the brunette. Under normal circumstances, the CEO would have the blonde knocked unconscious for such a daring move, but the annoying idiot was completely drunk, and Kaiba wanted to obtain his pride. What was so satisfactory about flooring a drunken man? No, if he wanted to get his revenge on Wheeler, he'd wait until he sobered up…_

"_I don't photograph well." He replied, eyeing the camera Téa held with disgust. It wasn't the truth; he just didn't want to be photographed with those weirdoes. Imagine if the press or his future children found them! The mere thought of being in a photo with those dorks was enough to embarrass the CEO…_

"_Don't be modest – of course you photograph well. You're gorgeous!" Joey said, the alcohol disguising any humiliation he had for what he said._

_Kaiba somehow found himself flushing a slight shade of pink. How dare the mutt say something for embarrassing, so freely like that! In public, no less! Behind him, Tristan was laughing. It was obviously a running joke between them, as the blonde winked in his friend's direction afterwards. "Mutt, I mean it. I'm not being photographed."_

"_Awww c'mon Seto." The CEO flinched at the use of his first name so unreservedly. "Don't be a baby… I dare ya." Joey had a devilish glint in his soft brown eyes as he mocked the brunet._

"_I'm not a child. I don't do _dares_, mutt."_

"_I double dare ya."_

_Kaiba gritted his teeth. Oh how he wished he was back at home, watching television with Mokuba instead of dealing with a drunken, idiotic classmate. "I told you, I don't-"_

"_GRAB HIM!"_

_Tristan and Joey suddenly caught both his arms and hauled him over to the rest of their obnoxious friends. Some other student from a different class had the camera in their hands, and - as soon as the group restrained the struggling CEO - snapped the photo quickly. Eventually Tristan and Joey let go of Kaiba, who was fuming silently. He pushed Tristan aside – he fell easily, being as drunk as the day is long – and immediately went for Joey. _

_However, the blonde smiled widely and threw his hands around Kaiba's neck, causing the CEO to freeze and the girls around the room to squeal. "You're not so bad, Moneybags," the blonde said, "I may even miss ya when I go to Uni." He'd given the slightest of a squeeze to his hug, his eyes meeting Seto's stunned ones for a split second._

_Then, as soon as it happened, he broke away and turned to help Tristan stand up, leaving Kaiba statue-still in the middle of the room. It took him several minutes to come to his senses and realise Joey played him for an idiot, but when he finally did, he resumed his warpath for the blonde._

_Ironically, the only thing Joey remembered of the night was the varying degrees of threats from the young CEO, and a lot of girls giggling when he walked past the next day…_

* * *

Kaiba found himself almost smiling at the memory. Graduation was quite… _Amusing_. It wasn't very Kaiba-like to torment the poor blonde idiot to such a horrible degree all that night, but he did actually have a good time in the end, and found himself smiling more and more frequently during that one night than he ever had done during his entire time in school…

The grandfather clock before him struck four o'clock, and Kaiba snapped out of his daydream-like trance. He would have all the time in the world to reminisce about how he had tormented his ex-schoolmates after the new housekeeper arrive. Pulling up his chair closer to his desk, he flicked on his laptop and soon forgot all about Joey Wheeler and his graduation party antics…

**xXx**

Joey had gone all out for his interview. Not that he didn't before, but this time, he had a good feeling that dressing exceptionally well would help him, or, at least, bring good luck. He had arisen at eight o'clock (which was early by his standards) and dressed in a casual yet nice suit, which he'd borrowed from Ryou. His hair was tamed; he'd flattened it using copious amounts of Tristan's hair gel, and managed to style it quite sophisticatedly. He sat awaiting his company in a hotel lobby.

He felt extremely nervous – who wouldn't? – but it was a different type of nerves than before. While the blonde wasn't someone to give up easily, he felt that this being his fourteenth job interview was slightly ridiculous. It was not like he had messed any interviews up; it was just that good fortune didn't seem to be on his side anymore. His self-esteem was beginning to falter with each job rejection he received. While he would keep trying until he was eventually employed by someone, Joey could feel the strain starting to build up. Was he not good enough? Maybe he wasn't as average as he believed? Was someone who couldn't even get a part-time job be able for college?

The self-doubting was pushed from his mind when the door opened. A slim woman in her twenties walked in. She greeted him with a forced smile and asked him to enter the room. Joey obliged, and found himself in a pokey office which smelled like coffee. He nervously sat himself down into a hard, plastic chair, his palms sweating with anticipation as he waited. The woman sat down.

"The young master shall be here soon..." She informed, not looking up. It occurred to Joey that he wasn't exactly sure whom he would be working for. When he'd first contacted the woman before him, she told him to meet at the first three story building in Main Street… Her vague instructions confused him to no extent. "Though, I doubt he will be very impressed."

Joey's face flushed with embarrassment. If her coldness was an accurate representation of her employers, it would just be Joey's bad luck that the family he'd be employed under would be the biggest assholes under the sun…

**xXx**

Several hours later, Mokuba entered Seto's home office silently. He took off his jacket and placed it on a coat stand by the television. His brother, who was angrily replying to an email, raised his head upon hearing the door close. He was about to greet him, but he noticed a scarily familiar look in Mokuba's eyes – it was the look he had when he would challenge Seto to a duel after he secretly switched their decks; it was the look he wore when things went his own way; it was the trade mark Kaiba look, and Seto didn't like it. Especially not after he knew where his brother had just come from.

"Well? What mundane woman have you hired?"

Mokuba grinned from ear to ear as he slid down into a couch by the wall. "Well, actually Seto, it's a guy. He was _very _suitable for the job." The teen kicked his shoes off and placed his feet on the armrest. Normally, his brother would tell him off for doing this, but the fact that he ignored it completely made Mokuba's mischievous side act up even more. It was hard to get his brother anxious and wary, but when he did, he loved it…

The CEO sat up straighter in his chair. He did not like where this was going. "Go on…" He said, careful of his expression. He couldn't give away too much of how he felt just yet. Maybe this guy wasn't too bad, maybe Mokuba was just playing with him… _Damn it, I __knew_ _I should have gone instead of him…_

"He ticked all the boxes and agreed to our terms. He's signed the contract, so there's no going back now…"

"Dammit Mokuba!" Seto said, trying to control his anger but failing dramatically. He should have known his little brother would do this to him. He was always trying to do 'nice' things for Seto – find him new friends, get him to meet new people, explore new emotions… Often with consequences that drove Seto up the wall… "What jackass did you hire? Oh please God don't tell me it's one of _them_…"

"One of whom, Moneybags?"

The CEO's jaw would have dropped to the floor if he hadn't had so much self control. His secretary – looking pale and awkward – entered the room, followed by a blonde, lanky teenager. Hands tucked into the pockets of his black trousers, his brown eyes caught Seto's icy blue ones and he grinned widely. "Wow, old Kaiba here looks like he's about to kill someone…" From his couch, Mokuba was grinning widely at the new arrival.

"That's _Mr._ Kaiba to you, mutt!" Kaiba snapped, grinding his teeth furiously together. He had to agree with the blonde though. Someone _was_ going to get - metaphorically - killed tonight. He caught his secretary's eyes and she swallowed, trying to mask her nerves by remaining knew that look on Kaiba's face all-too-well. It read, plain and simple, _you're dead_.

"Mokuba, go to your room," Kaiba snapped at his brother. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room had plummeted from mild hilarity to seriousness. Joey stared at Kaiba incredulity. He never spoke to Mokuba like that.

Suddenly, he felt very scared. Not twenty minutes ago he had secured a full-time job. Now, he was doubtful he'd make it past the first hour.

Mokuba stood up and protested. "But Seto!"

The CEO was having none of it, however. "Go Mokuba." His eyes were fixed on Joey, who carefully avoided looking in his general direction. Mokuba stood up, grabbed his shoes and stalked off, not used to Seto being so harsh to him. He made a point of slamming the door on the way out, and Joey heard his footsteps thump loudly on the floor until they gradually faded away.

Next the CEO turned to his secretary. "Sit." She obeyed, robotically placing herself on the hard wooden chair opposite him. "You," Kaiba was looking at Joey in the eye. The blonde swallowed back his fear and met his gaze. "Wait outside."

Joey didn't need to be asked again. He closed the door softly behind him and let out a much needed sigh of relief. He had never seen Kaiba in such a business-like mode before. He knew he could be curt and forceful but this was something alien to him.

"Joey…?"

The blonde jumped as a whisper cam from behind him. He turned to see Mokuba poking his head cautiously around corner. The blonde gave him a gentle smile, letting him know it was safe to approach.

The younger Kaiba tip-toed silently across the floorboards to the blonde, avoiding certain ones. This, Joey noted, appeared to something he was quiet regularly used to doing. He recognised the technique from the many nights he'd crept away from his own father's clutches…

"Um, I'm sorry about getting you in trouble," Joey muttered as Mokuba reached where he was standing.

The younger Kaiba shrugged. "It's not your fault. You know Joey, I deliberately chose to hire you. Not because I knew you, or because you were the only one… well, there was also that, but the main reason was because I think you'll be, well, _good_ for my brother."

Joey felt his face heat up as a strange and somewhat disgusting interpretation of the preteen's words popped into his head. The younger boy noticed his wording mistake and instantly turned red. "Oh! No! I didn't mean it _that_ way. I meant as in a… a moral way. Y'know, a 'teach him a life lesson'… That sort of thing…" Clearing his throat, Mokuba quickly looked away.

"Um, thanks, I guess…"

Glad the awkwardness had broken slightly, Mokuba began whispering again, "Look, any minute now, he'll send Miss Takada out and it'll be your turn to go and talk to him. Joey, please, _please_ don't mess this up," he grabbed Joey's shirt and looked up at him with pleading eyes, "Big brother has been under a lot of pressure recently, and he didn't mean to snap at me like that… People forget he's only eighteen, Joey! I-I don't know what I'd do without him, but if they keep straining him like this…" He wiped a hand across his face, brushing away the few tears which had escaped. "Please, Joey, try to understand… If it was Serenity…"

The blonde was completely stunned at Mokuba's tearful confession. He never realised just how worried such a young boy could be. He truly and utterly loved Kaiba more than anything in the world. Joey wasn't sure what touched him more. The fact that Mokuba thought he'd be able save Kaiba from being an emotionally and physically drained workaholic, or the fact that he saw the only connection between him Kaiba – their irrational love for their siblings.

Joey found himself hugging Mokuba back, briefly, before they let go. "You can count on me," he said, "I'll try my hardest to, um, take the strain off moneybag's shoulders…"

The younger Kaiba brother smiled at him. "Thanks Joey…" He glanced at the door, which remained shut. He gave the blonde a thumbs up for good luck and tip-toed away. Halfway down the hall, he stopped and turned around. "Um, you know… Seto won't fire you. You don't have to be so worried."

The blonde gave him a questioning look. "Why?"

"Because I chose you, silly. He'd never go against my wishes. After all, I'm always right." He smiled widely, and Joey suddenly shivered at the look in the younger Kaiba brother's eyes. He was a good kid but… He was still Kaiba's brother, and they shared traits which were scarily similar at times. "Good luck Joey," he wished again, before disappearing.

Feeling somewhat emotionally drained, Joey took out his phone and, without thinking, dialled Yugi's number. He needed someone to talk to; to take his mind off the task the young teenage boy had given him. He was pretty sure dealing with Kaiba was going to be the hardest thing he'd ever have to do in his new job.

On the second ring, the tri-coloured haired teen answered it. "Hello? Joey?"

"Yeah, it's me. Listen, I don't have much time but…" He found himself smirking slightly, "I got a job!"

"Congratulations!" The blonde could just hear his friend's happiness for him, and realised how lucky he was to have Yugi as a close friend; he was always happy for him, always smiling… "Where is it?"

Suddenly, the smile faded off Joey's face. He gripped the phone tightly in his hand. "Er, well… Kaiba's mansion. I'm a housekeeper now!"

There was dead silence on the other end for several second before Yugi spoke. "O...kay," he said slowly, "I'm just going to ask where is the real Joey Wheeler, and what have you done with him?"

Joey gave a forced laugh. "I'm serious Yugi! Look, I know me an' Kaiba haven't exactly been friends-"

"Understatement of the year Joey."

"But," he continued, ignoring his friend's interruption, "I really need the money, and if it took this long to get this job, it may be my only chance." When he stopped talking, he briefly could hear Kaiba's voice float through the door. He sounded pretty peeved, but Joey tried to ignore it. "Just… Just try and be happy for me, okay?"

The champion duellist gave a hefty sigh. "Alright, I'm sorry. I really am delighted you got a job, Joey, trust me. But you know how Kaiba can be. Please don't mess this up."

The blonde found himself smiling at Yugi's choice of words – they were exactly like what Mokuba had just said. "I'll try my best, Yugi, but I can't guarantee anything." Kaiba's voice from inside had risen louder. He felt it was almost his turn to be yelled at, and decided he'd better end the call. "Look, I gotta go. Talk to you soon, okay?"

"Yeah… Good luck Joey!"

"Thanks Yugi," the blonde said, "I think I'll need it…" _And judging by the sound of Kaiba's lecture inside the office, I'll need a damn good lot of it too._

* * *

**And let the fun begiiiiiin ~ :D**


	3. Chapter 3: The Kaiba Household

**~ I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. ~**

**Chapter Three – The Kaiba Household**

Joey felt a wave of anxiety wash over him as he sat outside Kaiba's office. He could hear the CEO's shouts of anger from outside, and he knew as soon as the secretary left he would be called in and given a good slate from his new boss. Normally, Joey would be able to stand his ground and fight back, but this was different. This wasn't two school boys bantering back and forth anymore – this was serious. He needed the money desperately and this was the best job he could get. He was trying to keep his thoughts positive to calm his nerves: the money was good, and by his calculations a good year, maybe two, of hard work would earn him enough to pay his fees.

The big problem was that he now worked for the world's biggest jerk, Seto Kaiba.

"… Now get the fuck out of my sight!"

The door opened and Joey instinctively cringed. Kaiba was in an apparent foul mood. _Great,_ he thought, _I'm about to be killed on the first day…_ He sucked in a deep breath, awaiting his turn…

"Mr. Kaiba would like to see you now," the secretary said, not seeming too fazed out by the abuse she had just endured. Joey guessed you'd grow used to it after a while. He wondered if he would. That is, if Kaiba didn't slaughter him beforehand…

Swallowing hard, he stood up and muttered a 'thanks' before entering. The office was big and modern. The furniture was simple and minimalistic, a cool grey colour which matched the walls. He noted the couch against the wall where Mokuba had only sat on ten minutes prior. There was a sleek flat screen television on the opposite wall, currently off. Seto sat with his back to the window, which revealed a magnificent view of Domino City.

"Sit." Kaiba said, pointing at the chair at the other side of the desk. Joey obeyed, careful of his movements. He could see Kaiba's shocking blue eyes silently judging him, drinking in all his actions and waiting for the perfect opportunity to scold him.

"So…" He said eventually, crossing his arms over his chest, "You're my new _Maid_."

"Ah shut up moneybags. I'm not a maid, and I'm not _yours_."

The CEO raised an eyebrow. "What's this? A servant is giving his master cheek?"

"I am _not _a servant," Joey said, feeling his temper rise. He knew he should hold his tongue as Kaiba could fire him whenever he wanted, but he once again found his emotions getting the better of him.

Kaiba smirked. "I beg to differ. I am your master and you are my m-u-t-t. That spells 'mutt', just in case you didn't know." His mouth smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Joey suddenly realised he was walking on dangerous territory, so he bit back a snappy response.

Instead, he huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Whatever… Housekeeper, mutt, servant, maid… Look, when do I start?" He refused to meet Kaiba's eyes. He _knew_ the bastard was having a secret laugh at him right now. Knew that all the time they had spent in school arguing and hating each other was all futile; Kaiba had ultimately won. And Joey's loss delivered him a very twisted consolation prize.

Kaiba leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his torso. His mouth was etched in a permanent smirk. It made Joey want to punch the rich bastard in the face, but he knew that he would have to wait quite a while to be able to do that again… "You start right now." Kaiba said, once his cold eyes had done silently calculating Joey. It had been three months since he had seen him – in appearance, Kaiba noted he was slightly taller, but his face was paler and his wrist and collar bones seemed to be slightly more prominent – and the CEO wanted to see what he could ridicule him for now. "I'm sure my incompetent secretary showed you the finer details of your contract, but let me reiterate some of the main points included in this job.

"You rise at six am, and proceed to prepare breakfast. I'm warning you now that the food better be up to scratch, or else I'll have out of here faster than you can say 'I'm a stupid mutt'"

Glaring, Joey bit down on his cheek. Oh, how he wanted to curl up his fist and punch him in his stupid, arrogant face…

The brunet could see that Joey hated every single word he was speaking, thus he continued, and decided to turn it up a notch. "Next, I expect you to make the beds, clean the kitchen, dust the furniture…" Three minutes later, "… And sort the cutlery by type, pattern and size." He inwardly, he could see the blonde freaking out, knowing that he was worried about the immense list of tasks he had to do. "Why the long face, mutt? You hardly thought your wages were so generous for you simply fetching my newspaper and sweeping the floor?" He gave a forced laugh, which chilled Joey to the very core.

"Finally, I'm allowing your time off – which won't be paid either, if you keep sulking like that - to be scheduled at the same time as mine. In the meantime, you are now living and working in the Kaiba manor. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Kaiba." Joey wanted to shiver at the thought. His new job was beginning to sound more like a slow-death torture method than anything else.

"Also, I shall have you know, there will be now stealing from my house. Any breakages will be docked from your pay check. And," he was suddenly dead serious as he spoke, "you _will_ do your very best to avoid angering me, Wheeler. You are now nothing more than a servant to me. There is no past between us. We're severing all emotional ties right here, and right now."

This time, Joey really did shiver. He knew that the minute Mokuba hired him it wasn't going to be easy, but this was on a different level altogether. Kaiba was dead serious about this job. Joey was beginning to feel he was playing a deadly game. There was no history between them any more. The duels won, the people met and the challenges faced were no more. Whatever had transpired, Joey realised with a sickening feeling in his gut, was no more. _Kaiba is now my boss and I… I am his employee… Nothing more. Nothing less._

"…But before I show you your delightful new suit," Kaiba was saying, and Joey realised he had been zoned out for a good minute or two, "I would like to give you a personal tour of the house."

Unable to bite back his sarcastic comment, Joey muttered, "Yay…"

Kaiba shot him a glare. His mood seemed to be like a rollercoaster – up and down, constantly changing. "Now, now, now Wheeler. I am your master, and starting today, you shall be everything a housekeeper shall be – pleasant, caring, hard-working, agreeable, polite, careful-"

"Basically all the things you aren't!" Joey snapped, immediately regretting his choice of words. _Think of the money, and of college, and of not hitting Kaiba in his stupid rich face even if he deserves it…_

The CEO merely arched an eyebrow. "Some would disagree, but for your cheek, I'm deducting tomorrow's wages off your salary."

The blonde paled. "But that's not fair!"

"Life's not fair, mutt. Some of us need to learn the hard way." With that, he walked passed his fuming 'servant' and out of the office. His hands clasped by his sides in an obvious attempt to stop them from hitting his boss, Joey followed.

**xXx**

"The first rule of the Kaiba Household," Seto explained as they began walking downstairs, "Is _respect_. Respect for your fellow family members, your property and most of all, your employers."

Joey gritted his teeth as he trailed behind. Kaiba's voice was so smug it made the blonde want to throw up. He knew his ex-classmate was enjoying this far more than he should be.

"And seeing as you've graduated high school – surprisingly – I'll assume you know what 'respect' means. But then again, you've probably forgotten…" He drawled on, aware of how crazy he was driving Joey. It was too good to be true, Kaiba thought, as they entered the first room – the living room. Mokuba sat in the corner, playing on a shiny 3DS. Upon seeing Joey and his brother, he paused his game and smiled.

"Hey brother! Hey Joey!"

The blonde smiled in response, but inside he secretly wished the boy wasn't here, so he could save him the trauma of when he kicked Seto to death…

"This, mutt, is the living room. As you can see-"

Mokuba suddenly jumped off the seat, tutting and shaking his head. "Seto! Stop being so formal. Joey is one of us now!" He took Joey's hand and pulled him further into the room. "I'm sorry about him," Mokuba muttered, ignoring the glares Kaiba shot him. "This is the living room; feel free to hang out here whenever-"

"Whenever all his work is done…" Kaiba interjected, smirking.

Mokuba, oddly, glared at Kaiba, "_Seto!_" He turned away from his brother and continued speaking to the blonde, "Basically, this is our entertainment and family room. You know… Television, X-Box, books and stuff. I know it's bit messy, but that's why you're here, right?"

He led the awe-struck blonde to the various other rooms, showing him the kitchen and dining room, then the several bedrooms, one of which he was assigned to. They were constantly followed by Seto, typing emails on his phone, adding the occasional sarcastic remark here and there, mostly at Joey's expense. They reach a set of double doors near the end of the tour, and Mokuba gave Seto a reproachful glance before explaining.

"This is Seto's room," he said, "I'm sorry about the mess… You're gonna have a hard time trying to clean it."

Joey was about to joke that it couldn't be as bad as his own bedroom, but then the younger Kaiba swung open the door and his words were chocked back.

"… Wow," he managed to eventually say, glancing at Kaiba who bashfully shrugged it off as nothing. "How the hell do you sleep in here at night?" He followed Mokuba into the room, eyes widening at half-packed suitcases and clothes strewn around, shoes and coats and belts covering the floor.

"You'd think Seto would be tidy, but in reality he's the opposite," Mokuba said, laughing slightly at Joey's face. "Don't worry, though, they're all clean – Seto just hasn't discovered what a wardrobe is yet…"

The CEO scowled and snapped his phone shut. "Alright. Mokuba, go and do your homework. Servant, follow me."

Joey huffed and being referred to as a 'servant', but kept his mouth shut and he trailed after Seto. Mokuba sympathetically touched his arm as they parted ways.

He followed the taller man for several minutes before arriving in a laundry room off the – disgustingly untidy - kitchen. Joey's head was spinning at how big the house was. He was sure he'd get lost sometime or other in the next few days. It really way ridiculous why two – now three – people needed a place so big, especially when they obviously couldn't manage living in it without extra help…

Kaiba rummaged around for a second before pulling out a paper bag, his eyes shining with devilment. He stood up and handed the bag to the blonde, who was too petrified by Kaiba's evil smile to even glance inside. "Cleaning supplies are stored in those cupboards," he said, pointing to an array of white gloss units to the right, "And your work uniform is in there. Sadly," he said, watching the blonde as he opened the bag and pulled out something black and white and, most definitely, frilly, "I anticipated our housekeeper to be a woman."

Joey dropped the apron-like garment in horror. "No way! No-fucking-way!" His nose crinkled in disgust as he eyed the piece of clothing. "Does it even have a back on it?" He flipped it over with his foot, eyeing it like it was something disgusting. "Ugh, c'mon… You're such a pervert Kaiba!"

Surprisingly, Kaiba chuckled. "That's no way to speak to your employer, idiot. And it's not your uniform. You can use it as a rag for dusting the units." He tucked his hands into his pockets and gave the blonde a funny look, halfway between amusement and incredulity. "That is, unless you want to wear it…" He raised an eyebrow at Joey's mortified expression.

"Yeah, yeah, very funny." He quickly decided to change the subject. "Well? Where do I start?"

"The living room," the CEO said, "Tomorrow morning. However, I expect you have a good bit of work done by the time I arrive home." His eyes were sparkling with delight as Joey's face fell slightly. "Can you do it, or shall I have to fire you on your first day?"

"O-Oh I can do it, alright!" The blonde said, defiantly crossing his arms across his chest, "Just you wait, Kaiba, your house will be sparkling in no time."

The brown haired man just raised one eyebrow and turned to exit the room. "I do expect good results mutt, otherwise you wouldn't have made it this far," he said, before leaving the room and escaping back to his office, thoroughly confusing and scaring the blonde.

**xXx**

Joey didn't particularly feel like speaking to anyone else after Kaiba left, so he took it as his task to get to know the corridors of the Kaiba mansion. It took him the most of half an hour to locate which room was his, and by then he was too exhausted to even try to remember the intricate web of hallways that was the second floor.

To be honest, Joey had not envisioned his room to be this nice – he was half expecting Kaiba to shove him in the attic, where he'd sleep on a few blankets and saw by the light of a candle. He realised his imagination may have run away a bit when he finally took in his new room.

It was the smallest in the mansion, but still larger than his old room at home. Spotting the large double bed in the middle of the room, he made his way over and flopped down into the centre. He kicked off his shoes and folded his arms behind his head, surveying his new home for the indefinite future.

The walls were a soft blue colour, matching almost everything in the room. There was a bathroom leading off to the left, which he was extremely thankful for. The rest of the room was fitted with the basic necessities – a wardrobe, desk, empty book shelf and a small bedside locker. There was a window to Joey's right, showing him a nice view of the grounds, and, surprisingly, the side window of Kaiba's office.

Now that he was alone, Joey could finally reflect on his day. His weird, weird day. He wasn't sure what was the most abnormal thing to happen – being hired by Kaiba, or Kaiba not firing him yet.

Mokuba seemed pretty adamant he was here to stay for the time being, a fact which both worried and assured him. On the bright side, he had a job with decent pay, even if the list of tasks he had to carry out was extremely daunting. Plus, he didn't have to live with his father anymore, a bonus which outweighed any number of tasks Kaiba could assign.

However, Joey wasn't too sure of how he could keep Mokuba's promise. Kaiba was, putting it simply, Kaiba. His life was work. How could he help a guy who simply wouldn't accept help? Would just doing his work and looking after Mokuba be enough? No, of course it wouldn't. Nothing in life is easy; Joey already knew that…

Rolling onto his side, he closed his eyes and within minutes, he was asleep.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks to those who faved/reviewed the last two chapters! Much appreciated ^_^  
**


	4. Chapter 4: The First Day

**~ I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. ~**

**Chapter Four – The First Day**

After a restful nights sleep in his new room, Joey was roused by the beeping of an alarm clock that he hadn't noticed yesterday. He turned it off, trying to keep his grumbling to a minimum – it was six am, for crying out loud! - and got ready to start his first day on the job. He wasn't exactly looking foreword to it. Though, while Kaiba may be the biggest ass on the face of the planet, Mokuba was decent enough for the two of them. Thankfully, they'd both be gone for the greater part of the day. Mokuba had informed Joey he returned at five, after his extra-curricular school activities ended. Seto almost never returned before nine pm, which was good news for the blonde.

As Joey dressed in his usual casual attire, a thought struck him. This job wasn't just for the money. He wanted to prove something to Kaiba. For the first time in his life, he wanted to show how hard-working he could be. Joey was determined to show his employer that he was capable not only of doing a good job, but sticking at it for as long as he could. He desperately wanted to make a good impression – if possible – on the Kaiba's.

The sun was barely up as he wandered down to the kitchen, carefully trying to memorize the route. Passing Seto's office, he saw the computer on and the CEO typing away. Rolling his eyes, he kept walking. Did Kaiba ever stop working? He was like some sort of super-human. Joey wondered how many hours of sleep he managed to cram in last night, if any.

The kitchen was a complete mess when he arrived. Pots thrown in the sink, empty cereal boxes and a half-emptied dishwasher greeted Joey as he entered. Pushing aside all thoughts of marching up to Seto's office and demanding why the hell they were such a messy family, he rolled up his sleeves and began to work…

Almost one hour later, the majority of the kitchen was somewhat organised. Already exhausted, Joey took a break from scrubbing and began his first time cooking for the Kaiba's. He wasn't a bad cook, if he was to be honest. His sister had given him a few tips when they spent time together. The only problem was that he didn't know what the two Kaiba brothers ate.

Opening up the fridge, Joey had to take a long, hard look at what was in there. He wasn't sure who did their shopping before – that was his job now – but they had literally bought the entire supermarket of food. At home, Joey was lucky to find enough to make a sandwich, but here, there was enough food to feed all of Japan and still have leftovers.

He found several boxes of cereal and set them on the dining table. Then, he defrosted some croissants – Kaiba seemed like the croissant-y kind of guy – and put them beside a group fancy looking jams in the dining room. The fridge contained several different types of juices – Joey decided to put them all out, just to impress Kaiba – and in the cupboards there was extremely expensive looking coffee. He set the table, adding more and more food that he'd found in the kitchen fridge. By the end, he had to admit it looked pretty good.

By the time he'd finished bringing out all the food, it was seven thirty, and Kaiba was sitting at the table, newspaper propped up against a cereal bowl. He ignored Joey's 'good morning' as he delicately chewed a – surprise, surprise – croissant.

Mokuba arrived down just as Joey had set the coffee on the table. He shot a huge smile at his new housekeeper. "Looking pretty good, Joey! Normally, we'd just eat the first thing we'd see in the kitchen…" He picked a bowl of cereal and a small glass of apple juice.

Joey made to leave for the kitchen to give them some privacy, but Mokuba ordered him to sit and eat. He obeyed, choosing the seat as far away as possible from Seto, grabbing a cup of coffee and a small bowl of fruit for sustenance. He chewed slowly, savouring the richness of the food – never had he been able to afford food this good at home.

When he finished, he found himself glancing at the brown haired CEO from his seat, drinking in his appearance – he looked tired, over-worked, yet still the same, stoic Kaiba he had known for years. He'd actually eaten some of the food, which brought to light a something strange – the blonde had never seen Kaiba eat before. Said CEO suddenly looked up from the newspaper to sip his coffee, and caught the blonde's eye.

"Yes?" He said, staring back, stony faced. "Like what you see, Maid?"

Joey flushed crimson. "A maid is a girl, Kaiba. Can ya call me something less feminine?"

The CEO's eyes flashed with amusement, but it didn't reach his mouth. He sipped his coffee again and replied, "Okay… Charwoman."

Glaring daggers at his boss, Joey silently fumed as he finished his orange. Mokuba was getting seconds and even Kaiba, he noticed, sneaked yet another slice of Joey's French toast. He smiled to himself as he stood and re-entered the kitchen to start cleaning up the mess he'd made.

Several minutes later, Mokuba ran in, tailed by Kaiba, and told him they were leaving. He gave the blonde a hug and wished him good luck, telling him not to overdo it. Kaiba told him if he broke anything he'd be fired. On that cheery note, they left Joey alone for the first time in hours.

While he wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed and sleep until noon, Joey knew it wasn't time to relax just yet. The entire Kaiba house was a mess, and he'd be lucky in he got even half of it done by next week. He spent his morning cleaning the kitchen and dining room, surprised at how dusty Kaiba had let the place become. _I guess he really is never home_… He mused, running a finger across the now-polished sideboard.

The next room he tackled was Mokuba's, which was expectedly clean. Joey opened the curtains and made the teen's bed, grateful that the younger Kaiba brother was as kind and generous as he was. If Mokuba wasn't here, this job would literally be hell. Kaiba would probably have him working impossible shifts, cleaning and re-cleaning things that didn't need to be cleaned, paying him miserably low wages…

By five pm, Joey had successfully tackled three out of four bathrooms, the spare bedrooms and the disastrous living room. Mokuba returned shortly after he had started working on dinner, and offered to help, though Joey kindly declined. If Kaiba knew that Mokuba was helping him, he'd accuse him of being lazy and whatnot.

However, he did ask the younger Kaiba what they preferred for dinner, and he replied that beef fillet was Kaiba's favourite. To spite the CEO, Joey made it, grateful that Serenity had taught him to cook as well as he could.

"I doubt Seto will be home early enough to eat it with us," Mokuba had said as they ate dinner, "He's never home on time…"

While Joey had pretended to cheer up the teen on the subject of his brother's work, inside he was madly celebrating an evening free of Kaiba. He had it all planned: tidy the dinner mess, and then chill with Mokuba in front of their ridiculously large television screen.

However, as he'd finished his dinner, they heard the front door slam. There was some curses uttered about the weather and the sound of footsteps – Seto was back. Mokuba's face broke out into a wide grin as his brother entered the room. "Seto! You're home early!"

Joey, deciding to be courteous, stood up and bowed. He felt slightly ashamed of having to do it. He had spent five years of his life arguing, teasing and fighting with Kaiba. Working for him was going to be very painful for a while.

"Moki," the CEO ruffled his brother's hair and sat down. "I see you've been training the dog…" He eyed Joey for a moment before turning and speaking to Mokuba about the younger's day in school. The blonde took it as his cue to fetch Seto his dinner, so he promptly left to fulfil his duties as a maid.

When he was out of earshot, Mokuba began speaking about him. "Seto, you should see the living room. Joey is such a good cleaner!" The younger Kaiba gushed on about he great their new housekeeper was, but Seto was barely listening. Today had been a long, stressful day. There had been several mix-ups with regards another company and they wanted to pull out of a huge deal. The mess hadn't been resolved – they had barely scratched the surface.

"Here ya go!" Joey had returned, dinner in hand. He placed it in front of Kaiba, who eyed it as if it was soaked in poison. "Erm, enjoy!" He bowed again and left the brothers alone again.

Mokuba caught Seto's eye. "Eat it, it's really good!" He stood and excused himself, leaving Kaiba to poke and prod at his meal. From the small crack in the door, Joey watched, wanting to see if the brunet gave away any indication of what he thought about the food. Much to Joey's disappointment, his face remained impassive to the very last bite.

Turning away, he started to tackle he mess that he'd created while cooking. "What did I expect?"The blonde found himself muttering under his breath as he scrubbed furiously at the dish he'd cooked on. "Praise from Kaiba? Pfft! I tidied that bastard's house and all I get is an insult-" He stopped his ranting when the door opened and Mokuba appeared. He caught the kid's eye and smiled.

"Joey, um, I was just wondering if you want to watch a movie with me? Seto's doing work and…"

The blonde was about to decline, but he saw the disappointment on Mokuba's face when his brother's name was mentioned. "Yeah, sure, just… Give me a minute."

**xXx**

Joey couldn't believe he was doing this. He was clutching a tray in one hand, carefully balancing it as he raised a fist to knock on the door. He rapped it three times. "Kaiba?"

There was silence. He tried again, knocking three times. "Kaiba?"

Again, silence. Getting frustrated, the blonde went to knock again, but the door was swung open. "Yes?"

Swallowing, the blonde gestured toward the tray. "I made tea."

"I don't like tea." Kaiba answered, trying to closed the door.

"There's coffee here too - you like coffee!" He knew it wasn't his place to do it, but he pushed passed Kaiba into the office. Setting the tray down onto the desk, he asked, "How many sugars? Two?"

"Get. Out."

Ignoring the CEO, Joey walked away from the chair and over to face his boss. He was wearing the same clothes as earlier, only his trench coat was abandoned on the back of his chair. "Mokuba asked me to watch a movie with him," Joey explained, "And I said yes… But I'm just wondering, and I know it isn't my place, but why won't ya spend time with your brother?"

Eyes flashing with fury, Kaiba glared coldly at his housekeeper. "You are right; it isn't your place to ask that. Get out."

"But, he wants to watch a movie and-"

"I'm busy."

"Busy enough to not spend time with Mokuba?"

Kaiba turned away from Joey. He eyed the tray on the desk for a minute, and grabbed the corner of it. He pulled it toward the edge of the desk, until the corner was suspended in mid air. He looked up and his eyes met with Joey's. "Stop poking around in my affairs and do your damn job."

"I wasn't poking! I was just wondering-"

Kaiba's hand slammed down on the corner of the tray and the contents vaulted off. They crashed to the floor, blending together in a murky mess of coffee, sugar, tea and milk.

The blonde's mouth dropped open. "What the hell did you do that for?" He fell to his knees and started placing the now-empty items back onto the tray.

"Because, Wheeler," Kaiba said, his voice full of venom and loathing, "I want you to fail. I want you to fail hard and fast." He walked over to Joey and bent down, knocking the coffee pot out of his hands, not breaking eye contact even as it skidded across the room. His right hand came up and grabbed Joey's chin, roughly jerking it so that he was looking up. "If it wasn't for my brother you wouldn't have this damn job. If you know what's good for you, you shut the hell up and do your damn job!"

He roughly pushed Joey's face away and stood up. Suddenly, the door burst open. Mokuba stood, breathing heavily, face red. "What happened? I heard a crash and shouting and-"

"Everything's fine, Mokie. Let's go watch that movie…"

The younger sibling looked at his brother in wonder as he swiftly left the room. He looked over to Joey, who was on his knees trying to pick up all the shards of glass. "Are you okay, Joey?"

The blonde nodded, not able to turn around and face the younger brother. "Yep, never been better," he lied. How could he tell the truth? How could he tell Mokuba that his wonderful older brother was spiteful, and cruel? How could he, when the mere mention of Seto's name made the preteen smile so much?

"Feel free to join us when you're ready… What happened, by the way?"

The blonde wanted once again to tell the truth, but instead replied, "I slipped and fell."

Mokuba believed him, and no more was said.

**Ooooh someone's touchy. O_O Poor Joey :-( **

**Once again, thanks to all who reviewed/faved the last chapter, and those who added this story to their alerts. Love you all ~ :D**


	5. Chapter 5: The Second Day

**~ I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. ~**

**Chapter Five – The Second Day**

Sleep didn't come easy for Joey that night. He lay with his back to the window, letting the moonlight stream in and cast an eerie glow on all objects around the room. It had been almost midnight by the time he had completely cleaned the mess in Seto's office. The liquid had covered not only the floor, but some of the opposite wall, and soaked into the small carpet by the door. Joey had spent in excess of three hours just scrubbing the place down.

At one point, Kaiba had walked into the office and sat behind his desk, opening up his laptop. Joey had glanced at his wristwatch, noting it was ten pm. Given the events that had just occurred, he decided against speaking to Kaiba, an agreement which suited them both.

_Stupid bastard,_ the blonde thought, rolling onto his side, _how the hell am I supposed to help him if he treats me like this? _His promise to Mokuba was still fresh in his mind. _The second I tried to help, his defences went into overdrive…_

Feeling defeated and exhausted, Joey decided to forget about what had happened. Tomorrow was a new day, and it couldn't get any worse…

**xXx**

"You're working on my room today, Wheeler," was all Kaiba had said to Joey that morning over breakfast. The blonde had been collecting the cutlery when the CEO spoke to him. Almost dropping it in shock, he regained enough composure to simply nod in response. Kaiba returned to reading about stocks in the morning paper, and Joey scarpered to the kitchen. Not only was breakfast with Kaiba awkward, there was a strange tension in the air. Mokuba had left early for school to collect friend along the way, and Seto was apparently working from home that day.

Joey wasn't sure if it was to do with yesterday or not, but the CEO seemed to be keeping a watchful eye on him. In response, the blonde kept his head down and avoided all eye contact.

Yesterday had not been the end. It was only the beginning. Joey didn't doubt Kaiba's threat yesterday – he was going to stop at nothing until the blonde failed.

There was only one thing Joey concluded that he would have to do – not to give in to Seto. He would rarely speak to him, and make it his top priority to avoid him at all times.

That was easier said than done, as demonstrated that afternoon. Joey had made his way up to Seto's room with his mind set on having it sparkling clean by dinner time. That tenacious spirit was broken shortly after it was acquired - It took Joey two hours alone to just clear the floor. Several times he had felt like giving up and storming into Kaiba's office to complain, but he was stronger than that. Joey Wheeler didn't give up as easily as that. Not to mention that would involve interacting with Kaiba, and Joey wasn't up to that for quiet a while.

The task did give him some time to recollect his thoughts. He mostly wondered about Kaiba and how he'd reacted to Joey's prying yesterday. Or, as Joey concluded, how he'd _over_-reacted. The more the blonde thought about it, the funnier it seemed. Joey told him to spend time with Mokuba, and Kaiba lost his temper.

_He's like a child, _Joey had noted with some amusement, _A spoiled brat who needs to learn his place…_

While the blonde was adamant on avoiding the CEO with all that he could, he also wanted to somehow get in under skin of his boss. He knew that the things he did could range from slightly irking the CEO, to completely pissing him off to the point of danger. Though, in what universe Joey would get away with riling Kaiba like that?

Seconds passed, blending into minutes, becoming hours. Joey thought he would have found something remotely interesting in Kaiba's room, but it was safe to say the CEO had nothing more than clothes and shoes, and a heck of a lot of them too.

That was, until Joey tackled the wardrobe.

'Wardrobe' was an under exaggeration. It was a walk-in closet, literally the size of Joey's own bedroom back at home. Nothing much of interest was in there but a small stack of coats messily piled in the far right corner. Joey walked over and pushed aside the stack gently.

"Jackpot!" He breathed, as his gaze found three boxes underneath. Two were sealed with tape, but the top one was unlocked. Suddenly, he felt extremely giddy. Kaiba obviously had hidden these from Mokuba's prying gaze. One of them was taped so much, it vexed Joey to know why.

The blonde went to open the lid for the one nearest him, but froze suddenly. Never mind them being highly personal - if Kaiba caught him… He'd no doubt be fired. Or, depending on how private the information inside was, killed.

Closing his hand into a fist, he pushed back his desire. Joey sighed and went to pick up the boxes. There was a closed cupboard for shoes above his head. They could fit comfortable in there.

However Joey, being as clumsy as his is, decided that lifting up the three, heavy boxes at the same time was a smart idea. Of course, he managed to drop them all, the contents of the unlocked box spilling everywhere.

"_Shit_!" He cursed loudly and scrambled to pick up the scattered items. Photographs and documents littered the floor around him. The blonde grabbed a handful and threw them into the box, trying his hardest not to see hem, not to read…

Every few seconds he'd catch a familiar face on a picture – most of them were Mokuba. Some of a child Joey didn't recognise. There was one of Noah, but none of Kaiba himself.

Joey flipped them over as he threw them into the box, hoping they were like that when he found them. However, one caught his eye just as he overturned it, its familiar faces smiling up at him.

It was him, arm around Kaiba, with the rest of the gang from school. Kaiba was scowling, but Joey and Tristan, who were both holding Kaiba in vice-like grasps, were grinning like fools. The blonde didn't recall the photograph being taken, but he recognised the setting as his graduation night. The most he remembered of that night was Kaiba repeating 'When I get my hands on you, Wheeler…' with several different threats following.

Feeling this photo was something he didn't want Kaiba to have – after all, the CEO didn't care for anyone in it, save himself – Joey folded it and swiftly tucked it into his back pocket.

He continued to sift through the documents, forgetting where he was and what he was doing. A folded form caught his eyes at one point, and he picked it up to investigate.

_Adoption Form...? _The bold print caught his eye. _Don't look,_ he scolded himself, _it's private. Don't look… _And yet, despite what he had said, Joey found himself reading through the document. He felt guilty, but somewhat satisfied. It was the papers of Kaiba's adoption for Mokuba, filled out in dark blue ink.

"Strange…" was all Joey had to say. He had taken it as a given that Mokuba was to be with his brother. The date on the form, Joey noted, was only a few weeks ago. He frowned, flipping it over, seeing a red stamp across.

"… Rejected?"

"Yeah, that's right, rejected."

His heart hammering, Joey hid the paper back into the box. Turning around, he saw Kaiba standing at the door. He didn't look mad, or upset, or even remotely interested. He was the same, emotionless Kaiba. "Are you enjoying yourself, mutt?" He asked, eying the photos scattered around the blonde.

Joey hid his red face by busying himself with scrambling to collect the photos. "Sorry, they fell when I tried to move the box…" He stacked some into a neat pile and grabbed more, silently praying Kaiba wouldn't strangle him…

"Are you satisfied with what you read? Any questions? Or do you think you know it all?" Kaiba's voice wasn't sharp. It was encouraging.

_Encouraging me to ask him about the adoption form, _Joey realised, _he wants a repeat of yesterday. _"No, Kaiba sir." He said, swallowing back the fear that was stirring in his gut. He was the only other person in this mansion. God know what Kaiba could do…

"I see you've learned your place, mutt," the CEO said, a hint of amusement now in his voice. "That's good. I hate a dog that disobeys its master. There's nothing worse than a mongrel thinking it's a pedigree…" He turned to walk away, waiting… waiting for him to say something, anything…

When it didn't come, he added, "What? No comeback? I'm disappointed."

Joey bit down hard on his lip to avoid snapping back. His quick temper would be the death of him… He knew he must resist Kaiba. _He wants me to retaliate. He wants a reaction. It's all he cares about. _He released a breath he didn't realise he was holding and picked up another handful of photos. He fixed them neatly and placed them in the box. Kaiba was still watching him. He could feel his blue eyes pierce through him, reading his thoughts, his emotions…. He was quiet aware that the CEO knew how he was feeling right now…

_Stupid, rich-ass Kaiba. He thinks he's amazing, thinks he's the greatest guy in the world. But he's-_

Kaiba spoke, breaking Joey's trail of thought. "I can see you're trying hard not to react to me Wheeler, but it's no good. I'll break you like I break most people. you'll never-"

"Last! I know! God, if you hate me so much then just fucking fire me!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Joey regretted it instantly. His face turned a shade of pale white as he turned his face sharply from Kaiba's. He didn't want to see the glee on his face…

It was times like this he realised who he was, and who Kaiba was. A rich, CEO with assets worth more than Joey could imagine… He was _something_. Someone, who had a place, who knew who he was. Respected, feared and above all, awed.

Joey was not anything in the legions of that. He was nothing – he had nothing, and all he ever knew was nothing. Even when he lived with his dad, he was a nobody. His room was a four walled confinement of hell, a place where he'd wish and dream and hope. A place where all he had was a bed and a drawer of clothes…

Kaiba could see right through him. He saw the emotions on the blonde's face, and could take an accurate guess of what thoughts were racing through his mind. It delighted him. _He loves watching me suffer_, was all Joey could think. _His stupid remarks are all for his amusement. _

Kaiba was walking away, disappointed that that was all he got. _If he wants me to react, then I'll give him a damn reaction…_ "Kaiba, do you like insulting me or something?"

The CEO stopped. Though his back was to Joey, the blonde _knew _he was smirking. "I wouldn't call it insulting, if it's the truth…"

He heard the blonde stand up, the photos on his lap falling to the floor. "You're… You're a sadist, Kaiba. You think all your problems in life will be eased if you take it out on me, but they won't. They won't go away. If you're frustrated, then deal with it. Don't just call me a barrage of names. It might make you feel better, but in the long run, the only person you're hurting is yourself…" He didn't realised his was shaking until he stopped speaking. He saw that Kaiba's disposition was the exact same, which made him angrier. He opened his mouth to continue, but was interrupted.

Kaiba waved his hand at the blonde, dismissing his previous outburst. "I'm disappointed. Just when I thought you'd learned some manners…" With that, he left the room, making a point to slam the door hard on the way out.

Joey bit down on his lip in frustration. _What in the hell just happened? _Why didn't he keep his mouth shut? He had to retaliate. He couldn't just hold his tongue, and wait for the CEO to leave. No, Joey was a special case. He'd gotten into the habit of arguing with every chance with Kaiba, and now it had to stop.

**xXx**

Kaiba was alone in his office when someone knocked on the door. He closed his laptop and ordered them to come in, knowing who it was. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back into the chair.

As he silently predicted, the blonde head of his favourite mutt appeared before him. It was swiftly approaching eleven o'clock, but he was still wearing his working clothes. He caught Kaiba's eye and gave a small bow. The CEO inwardly smiled.

"Kaiba, erm, I wanted to, em, apologize for today… and yesterday." He managed to keep his gaze steady with the CEO's, trying his hardest not to glance away. Kaiba's eyes were such a vibrant shade of blue; it was hard not to feel intimidated. "I was out of line, and I want to, em, _assure_ you that it'll stop. I'll do my job, and nothing more."

Only after several seconds of silence did Kaiba that the blonde was finished his little speech. He wasn't sure how to react. He never thought the blonde would do this – he was sure that his pride was above petty things as apologizing. What could or would he gain from it? Kaiba wasn't going to suddenly act nice and polite with him…

"Interesting tale, mutt, but what do you want? It isn't from the goodness of your heart that your down on your paws begging me, is it?"  
Joey flinched at the paws remark. It stung, but he let it slide. "Well," he said eventually, trying to find the most round-a-bout way of saying it, "I was wondering…. Em, you see, Yugi's holding a… a get-together and it's Saturday, and I was wondering…"

"No."

The blonde stared at him, mouth open. "But I didn't even-"

"No, you can't go."

"Why not?"

Smirking widely, Kaiba leaned foreword to scrutinise the blonde better. "Think of it as a way of getting even, Wheeler. I'll accept your apology if you accept my rules. No 'get-together' for you, and I'll forget your little outbursts never happened."

Feeling his anger return, Joey gripped the edge of Kaiba's desk. "And what if I refuse to accept you proposal?"

"You still can't go. Work is work. Recognise your priorities, and move on." His tone was final. There was going to be no more discussion on the matter. It was futile to try otherwise.

Joey clenched his teeth together as he turned and left the office. He just couldn't win with Kaiba. He had formulated that failed apology as he finished the CEO's bedroom. Halfway through, he remembered Yugi's party next Saturday, and decided that if Kaiba accepted his apology, he'd ask him. But while he did have four more days to ask and re-ask the CEO if he could go, Joey decided not to hold his breath.

**Not happy with this chapter, but the next one is considerably better. Be patient readers, the beginning of puppyshipping fluff is just around the corner! ;) Thanks to all who read/reviewed that last chapter! **


	6. Chapter 6: The Promise

**Chapter Six – Not So Bad After All**

Joey gave the fridge door a good slam as he retrieved a tray of eggs from inside. It was early Sunday morning, so early that even Kaiba hadn't woken yet. That was mainly the reason Joey was working on breakfast at this ungodly hour – to avoid all interactions with his employer for the day.

Kaiba had been completely stubborn all week. On the plus side, the housekeeper hadn't seen nor heard from him a lot - he was working late into the night, and leaving without taking any breakfast in the morning. He had spent the majority of the day at his main KaibaCorp office. The minus to all this was that when Kaiba was at home, he was even more stoic and snappy than usual. After the disastrous first two days of his new job, Joey had kept his head down and worked steadfastly, making sure to stay on top of everything and anything. He'd avoided every possible situation where he would have to be in the same room as Kaiba.

The reason behind all this was Yugi's college-leaving party, of course. Joey had been naïve enough to believe if he remained reserved to himself and kept the 'ticking Kaiba off' business to a minimum, he'd be allowed go.

As expected, his hopes were shattered pretty quickly.

Last night, a mere hour before the scheduled kick-off of the get-together, Joey had knocked on Kaiba's door. Several minutes later, he was standing before the CEO, feeling confident he'd be granted one, measly afternoon off.

Once again, he was wrong.

Not only had Kaiba disallowed him to go to his best friend's once-in-a-lifetime party, he banished him to the library to dust off every book, and resort them in alphabetical order by author.

The task itself took Joey the rest of the afternoon, and most of the night. He didn't even make it to his bedroom when he'd finished - he had fallen asleep in a small armchair in the library corner. Unfortunately, this nap was short-lived thanks to Kaiba's obnoxious grandfather clock ringing loudly at five am.

Which incidentally brought him to the current location - the kitchen.

Joey cracked several eggs into a bowl and began whisking the living daylights out of them. After several seconds, his arm hurt, but he kept going. He needed somewhere to take out his frustration, so a good place to start was Kaiba's breakfast. His only regret was that he hadn't stocked up on poison while shopping the day before…

Yugi had been disappointed, as expected, when Joey had called him. He'd offered to speak to Kaiba, but Joey reasoned that he'd receive nothing less than week's worth of torture from his employer. Also, while Yami may be gone, Yugi was starting to act more and more like him everyday, which was a good and bad thing. It compensated for his height, oddly, but it also managed to scare the hell out of everyone. While Joey highly doubted that Yugi could force Kaiba to let him take the evening off, he was sure that whatever anger his employer would have towards the tri-coloured haired teen would be taken out on the blonde instead.

Joey popped the pancake mixture in the fridge to settle and took a seat at the rarely-used breakfast bar. The sun was barely poking up over the horizon as he folded his arms across the table and rested his head gently down. It seemed that he had only closed his eyes and dozed off when someone was poking him awake again.

"Joey, finally!" Mokuba stood before him, dressed and smelling of peppermint. He gave the blonde a wide smile as he sat up and yawned. "I've been poking you for five minutes."

"S-Sorry!" He quickly slid off the chair and hurried his way to the fridge. "I'll have your breakfast ready as soon as I can, Mokuba."

The younger brother rolled his eyes as he hoisted himself up onto the stool Joey had just been resting on. "Take your time. Seto won't be having breakfast; it's just me." His voice was somewhat forlorn. It made Joey tense up a little; he could sense Mokuba wanted to talk, no doubt about his brother.

Joey was in no mood to make promises or chat about Seto's well-being. While he did think that Mokuba was a great kid and he totally respected him for his dedication to his brother, Joey was adamant on not getting involved. It seemed the only person who could exercise some control over Kaiba was Mokuba. What more could a mere housekeeper do?

Keeping quiet as he cooked, Joey waited for Mokuba to speak. However, the younger sibling remained mute until Joey had place the plate before him and told him to eat. He hoisted himself onto the chair opposite Mokuba, watching him pile pancakes onto his plate, avoiding Joey's piercing gaze.

After a minute, Joey asked, "What's up?"

The teen looked up, almost innocently. "What do you mean, Joey?"

"You know what I mean," he replied, "What's with 'the look'?" He took a bite from his food, eyes still on Mokuba.

"… Nothing's up."

They lapsed into silence. Sometime during the meal, they heard the front door slam. Mokuba gave an irritated sigh and dropped his cutlery back onto the plate. "I'm not hungry anymore," he said.

Joey pretended to look hurt, which worked excellently.

"N-not that it's your cooking, Joey! It's fantastic! It's just…"

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Just…?" Mokuba didn't reply, which only egged on Joey further. He sighed and finished his food before asking, "You can tell me, Mokuba, I promise I won't tell anyone." He caught Mokuba's eyes and smiled. "I swear on my red eyes card."

His comment made Mokuba smile momentarily. "I know you won't tell anyone, I trust you." He sat himself back up onto the stool again. "It's about what we spoke about before… Seto hasn't been here all week. Well, I know he's been home, but his mind isn't at home – he's constantly working."

Joey wanted to interject, break it to Mokuba that Seto seemed to always be constantly working, but he let it slide. He didn't want the only nice person in the house to hate him.

"I mean, last night I was getting a drink, and he'd fallen asleep on his keyboard. I woke him and told him to go to bed, but he started working again." Mokuba's voice had a risen a few tones above normal. "Joey, I'm really worried. I read online that if you don't get enough sleep you'll die! I don't want Seto to die. He's-"

"Mokuba, enough," Joey held up his hands to stop the teen. Never before had he seen a child so worried before. I was almost scary, and maddening. Joey wanted to march up to Kaiba's office, and shout at his inconsiderate boss until he couldn't even whisper, but instead, he put a reassuring hand on Mokuba's shoulder. "What do you want me to do, Mokuba? I can't just order him to bed and force him to eat…"

"Oh, but you can Joey!"

It was the blonde's turn to worry. "And how may that happen?"

"Well, when I tell Seto to do something, he'll always make an excuse. I can't force him to go sleep or leave his office, because I'm too small. But you, Joey, are just as strong as Seto, and-"

"Hell no Mokuba! No way! I don't care how much that bas-, I mean, person isn't sleeping, I am not forcing Seto freakin' Kaiba to bed!" He folded his arms across his chest as if to make his point final.

Mokuba's reaction was not what he'd expected. He thought he'd get angry, possibly force him into doing it. Hit him, or just become insulted. He did not expect Mokuba to start crying, but he did.

"P-Please Joey! P-Please…" He pressed his hands to his face, turning away from the blonde.

Joey jumped form the chair and rushed over to Mokuba. "I'll do it, alright? Please stop crying! If Seto walks in now, I'm dead…" he gave Mokuba an awkward pat on the shoulder as he ceased crying almost immediately.

The younger Kaiba brother launched an attack-like hug on Joey, shouting his thanks and the blonde struggled to keep his balance.

"Just remember to tell him that I told you to do it, okay?" He said, after releasing Joey from his bone-crushing embrace. Joey noted with slight suspicion the noticeable lack of tears on his face.

Before he could question him, Mokuba stood up and Joey simply watched him go, a slight sense of regret already growing in the back on his mind. He didn't want to see Mokuba unhappy, but he knew no matter how hard he tried, he would never be able to simply _tell_ Kaiba what to do. Half of the population bought his products. He had power over people, so there was no way in hell that he'd simply comply with the blonde. Even if he did tell him that it was Mokuba's orders…

**xXx**

The day dragged on as normal. Kaiba returned at the reasonable time of ten pm, almost knocking over Joey in a flurry to get to his beloved office. He had barely even look back after knocking the surprised housekeeper over, but what he saw during his brief glance made him laugh. He had managed to knock the blonde and an enormous pile of laundry to the floor.

"Kaiba… bastard… damn…" were a selective few words to be heard as Joey scrambled to pick up his now-ruined ironing. It had taken him ages to finish it all. While it wasn't Kaiba's fault, he felt an apology would be in order. Though, judging by the snappy mood his boss had been in all week, Joey decided to let it slide just this once.

Joey proceeded to refold all the clothes, finishing the last item at a few minutes short of midnight. Yawning, he set the clothes down in the living room, promising himself he'd put them away tomorrow. He made his way to his room, knowing the route like the back of his hand. He couldn't believe he had gotten lost before – the Kaiba mansion wasn't as big as it seemed at the start. He was surprised he had the routes memorised after only a week.

Passing Kaiba's office, Joey was surprised to see the computer on and the CEO not there. Walking in, he flicked on the light switch, suddenly noticing the strangest thing he'd seen all week - the CEO fast asleep on his keyboard.

Putting aside all negative thoughts he had about Kaiba, Joey found him to be a lot more… _Pleasant_ when he was asleep. _For starters, _the blonde thought, crouching on his knees to see eye-level with the brunet, _he's not bad-mouthing me. And he's not frowning down on everything and anyone…_

Remembering what he had promised Mokuba – begrudgingly, of course - Joey switched off the monitor as to not disturb whatever work Kaiba was doing. He took one last look at the Kaiba before him - sleeping peacefully, mouth open slightly, eyes flickering behind shut lids – before he put a hand on the CEO's shoulder and gently shook him awake, calling his name. The blonde only noticed then how he had never seen Kaiba look so tranquil before, even if his eyes were lined with dark circles, his skin paler and more drained looking than ever.

It took a while, but Kaiba opened his blue eyes and stared, sleepy and confused, at Joey. "What?" He yawned, sitting up. "What the hell are you doing?"

The housekeeper stood up, backing away slightly. He missed sleeping, nice Kaiba already... "You fell asleep, and-"

"Idiot! If I fall asleep in here, leave me alone," he snapped, glaring at the blonde.

_He's just like a grumpy child… _Joey thought, rolling his eyes at Kaiba's attitude. He turned to leave, but Mokuba's advice popped into his head. Sighing inwardly, Joey reached down and took the CEO's wrist, pulling him out of the chair and out of the office. The brown haired man protested, trying to pull away, but Joey was stronger than he looked. He had Kaiba's wrist in a vice-like grip, and he wasn't let go. He had a promise that he had to keep.

"What the…? What are you doing…!" It was more of a question than a statement. Joey wasn't sure what Kaiba was feeling more – surprise, or resentment. His employee had just pulled him from his office, but the blonde 'mutt' was touching him.

"Wheeler, I swear, if you don't let me go, there will be war!"

"No can do, Mr. Kaiba," he said, not allowing any emotion to creep into his deadpan voice. As much as Joey wanted to tease and taunt his employer, he was beginning to recognise his place. If it wasn't for Mokuba, he would have just left Kaiba sleep in his office all night.

"I-If you don't unhand me right now, I'll make sure your out of here by-" The CEO was cut off by a door slamming. They had reached Kaiba's room. He had been too busy trying to wrestle Joey off to notice. The blonde guided a furious Kaiba further into the room and, finally, let his wrist go. He turned and started looking through Kaiba's clothes drawer, ignoring the other man.

"You better have a good reason for this," the brown haired man said. He glanced at his watch momentarily, "It's almost half twelve. I still have several emails to write and-"

Suddenly, a white t-shirt hit the CEO in the face. He gasped and pulled it away to see his housekeeper standing before him, arms crossed, wearing an expression of up-most sternness.

"Put it on," he said.

Kaiba sneered. "And why should I take orders from you, Wheeler? I do hope you realise that I am _this _close to firing you. The only damn reason I haven't kicked you out yet is because I want you here long enough to give me a good explanation."

"Because, Seto," Joey grinned from ear to ear as he spoke, "These are _Master_ Mokuba's orders. I am merely doing his bidding, _Kaiba_." He said the words 'master' and 'Kaiba' in such a skin-crawling flattering tone of voice that he could physically see Kaiba's temper rising.

The CEO gritted his teeth and gave a good, piercing glare towards the blonde. "… What did he say?"

Quiet enjoying his new-found power over the CEO, Joey pranced up to Kaiba, smiling wider. "That is confidential."

It was a rare sight to see the CEO of KaibaCorp simply give up, but he knew it was a futile situation. From the moment he saw Joey standing before him in his office, he had quiet an accurate suspicion that his darling younger brother was behind this all. _Mokuba… You're too smart for your own good, _Kaiba thought bitterly as he saw the smugness on Joey's face. _He knows too damn much - using Wheeler like this against me… Evil, conniving little brat…_

"Get out," he ordered his housekeeper, picking up the cloths which had been given to him.

"Sorry, can't. Mokuba's-"

"Orders, yes, I know." Kaiba changed under the watchful eye of the blonde, who preceded to hand him a pair of sweatpants. While Kaiba dressed, Joey neatly folded his suit and placed it in the wardrobe.

"You're done? Good. Now brush your teeth," he pointed to the bathroom.

Kaiba's expression hardened. "Oh hell no! I don't care what Mokuba told you to do, this is where _I_ draw the line…" He made to step past Joey, but for the second time that day, the blonde caught his wrist and pulled him back. "What the hell do you think you're dong?"

"Mokuba's orders." Joey said flatly, "He made me promise you'd get a proper nights rest…" He caught the CEO's fuming gaze and sighed. "Look, I don't want to do this any more than you do. Just… Do it for Mokuba, okay?"

"Just remember who ultimately pays your wages, and then decide whose side to take," Kaiba said, wrenching his hand back, and storming into his bathroom, making a deal out of slamming the door and making as much noise possible while he was in there. Outside, Joey smirked to himself. Kaiba was such a child sometimes. Occasionally, more than Mokuba.

_Mokuba_… It made him wonder slightly, how Kaiba's brother had this power over him. How by simply saying 'Mokuba said…', Kaiba would comply to his orders. Joey wasn't a fool, and he was starting to suspect something was going on between the two Kaiba brothers, and that strange adoption rejection form he had seen several days ago. That issue hadn't been forgotten yet, and as far as Joey was concerned, wouldn't be until his curiosity was satisfied.

The bathroom door swung open and Kaiba stalked out. He glared at Joey before heading over to his bed. The servant bowed slightly and murmured 'good night'. He left the room as Kaiba turned off the light.

Joey knew better than anyone Kaiba wouldn't fall asleep quickly. He slid down onto the ground beside the door and brought his knees to his chest. He gave Kaiba five minutes, tops, before he snuck back out again to his office.

As predicted, thirty seconds later, there was movement to be heard behind the door to Kaiba's room. Joey heard the soft 'click', and stood up quickly. The door creaked open, and Kaiba walked out, not making any sound. That was when Joey pounced.

"Ahhh- WHO THE FUCK- WHEELER?"

Joey had tried to catch Kaiba's arm, but the brunet threw him against the wall. There was much scrambling and cursing, and suddenly the hall was illuminated – Kaiba had found the light switch.

"Why were you standing outside my room?" Kaiba demanded, holding Joey in place by fistfuls of his shirt.

"To make sure you didn't do exactly what you were doing right now!" He tried to struggle free, but Kaiba wasn't having any of it. "I made a promise to your little brother, and I intend on keeping it. I knew you'd sneak back to your precious work, I just knew it!"

Kaiba's response was a gaze so murderous it made Joey tremble slightly. "You _idiot_. I was going to get a drink..."

Joey gave a sarcastic laugh, regardless of the current situation. "Pfft. 'Drink' my ass…"

Kaiba's expression was nothing less than furious. Even Joey, despite Mokuba's assurance that Kaiba wouldn't harm him, was becoming more nervous. His cold blue eyes were calculating something bad - Joey could tell simply by the way Kaiba was starting to smirk. "You seem very adamant on keeping promise to my little brother, mutt." He let go of Joey's shirt and took a step while speaking. "My first instinct was to fire you, but I've realised I'd have a better task for someone so… _Keen_ on looking after my well-being." He tuned towards his door. "Have the usual morning chores finished by eight am tomorrow. I have a new use for you."

With that, he shut his bedroom door in Joey's face, leaving him in the dead silence of the corridor.

**Jeeze, I thought I'd never get time to upload this chapter. Apologies for how long it took – writer's block is a b-i-t-c-h. -_-" Thanks to all who reviewed & faved the last chapter ~ 3**


	7. Chapter 7: Bring Your Mutt To Work Day

**Chapter Seven – Bring Your Mutt To Work Day**

Joey had felt the butterflies in his stomach from the moment he woke up. They had been there, tickling and gnawing at his nerves, making him so anxious he skipped his breakfast and opted instead to sort out the laundry. Now, sitting in the back seat of Kaiba's spacious limo, he was trying his hardest not to think about what was ahead of him, not looking in Kaiba's direction…

"Don't die of amazement yet, Wheeler, it's only a limo. If a little car has you this psyched, we're going to have a problem when you see the office…"

To some extent, it was true; Joey had never been inside a limo. And yes, secretly he was quiet enjoying the thrill of Kaiba's expensive patented leather seats, and the barely audible hum of the engine, but he wasn't going to let Kaiba know that. He was too distracted with his own inner turmoil to pay the slightest shred of attention to the brunet's teasing.

The disappointment showed on Kaiba's face - Joey hadn't reacted to his little jibe at all. He wasn't used to people ignoring him, at least not so blatantly. Joey simply stared out the window, arms folded clumsily across his stomach. His eyes were distant and lost.

"Mutt?" Kaiba spoke, but the words never seemed to reach his housekeeper's ears. _I'm not sure if he'd purposely ignoring or if he really is daydreaming… _"Mutt." He said it firmly, a little louder than before. Joey's eyes remained glazed, lost.

In a somewhat sulk-like manner, Kaiba leaned back into his seat and took out his phone, aimlessly opening and closing apps, doing everything and anything to keep his mind away from Joey.

The limo stopped a few minutes later, and Kaiba's door was opened by his driver. He stepped out into the morning air, ignoring the greetings and bows he was receiving from his employees. Half of them were just sucking up to him anyway, trying desperately to get onto his good side.

Joey stepped out after him, and some of the more stuck-up staff scoffed at him. He heard some whispering as they entered the building and worked their way to Kaiba's office. Women in thin, black suits passed by him, glancing over their shoulders as they passed. Joey thought about how odd it looked in retrospect. He had stepped out of Kaiba's limo behind him, wearing his casual jeans and a blue t-shirt, and was now following him to his office. How suspicious does _that_ look to other people?

Suddenly, Joey became very aware of how out-of-place he looked. Everyone else was above the age of thirty – except Kaiba, of course. They all wore formal pencil skirts or black trousers. Some people carried briefcases and folders, others clipboards and coffees. It was very business-like.

They had reached a room which had the words 'Seto Kaiba, CEO' on a plaque on the wall. Kaiba opened the office, not bothering to hold the door for Joey. He scrambled in just in time as the heavy door closed.

"Welcome to KaibaCorp, mutt." He said, walking over to his desk and sitting down in the seat behind it.

Joey stood awkwardly by the door, not knowing where to look or what to do. He caught Kaiba's eye and noticed he was looking for a response. He quickly said, "It's, er, very big. Lots of people and… stuff." His face turned red after the words left his mouth. How stupid did he sound!

"Nice observation," Kaiba said sarcastically, "Did you note the colour of the building too? Maybe what type of front door we have?" He scoffed and folded his arms across his chest. "I brought you here today to run some errands." He flicked on his computer and caught Joey's eye. "This is your much-awaited punishment for yesterday's antics."

Joey swallowed, not liking the sound of it at all.

"My personal assistant is an incompetent fool. She couldn't photocopy a sheet without having a nervous breakdown in between. That is why I've brought you here," he opened the top drawer in his desk and pulled out a bulging file. There was a list taped to the front, and he handed it to Joey with an expression full of badly-concealed amusement. "Follow the instructions, and wait for the limo outside at six."

"What about lunch?"

Kaiba smirked. "What about it?"

"When can I have it?"

The brunet gave a hollow laugh. "Always thinking about food… You can have lunch when you have time for it…" He turned his gaze to the computer screen, and Joey took it as his cue to leave.

When outside the door, he looked down at the note taped to the folder. "Let's see… Photocopy… Post letters… Cancel meeting…" The list went on, from easy to mundane to extremely boring. Joey felt the raw enthusiasm he had this morning drain from him as he read to the end of the list. People who passed him in the hall as he read glanced back with either sympathetic expressions or smug knowingness. Joey ignored them all.

Tucking the list into his pocket, he set out to do Kaiba's work, trying to make himself enjoy it. On the bright side, it was a break from cleaning the mansion.

On the other hand, this was Kaiba's company, and he had enough experience to know that when Kaiba was involved, something always went wrong.

**xXx**

Kaiba worked furiously through-out the morning. He managed to get quiet a bit done by 2pm. Without his assistant's annoying blunders slowing him down, he was working twice as fast as usual. He was too proud to admit it, but he was glad he'd thought of bringing Joey to work. Despite all bad things Kaiba had ever said about the blonde, once he put his mind to something, he was a damn good worker. Kaiba was somewhat impressed – though he would _never _admit it – with how clean his house was, or how nice the mutt's cooking was. Certainly, his house had never felt more like an actual home before.

"If only I could sort this problem out…" Seto said aloud, leaning foreword in his chair to see the screen better. Lately, he felt like all he ever did was stare at a computer screen. His vision was suffering from it, though he was much too stubborn to get glasses.

There was a soft knock at his door. Kaiba leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "Come in." He ordered.

The door opened and a familiar blonde housekeeper entered the room. He was carrying a tray in his hands, and kept his eyes on the floor. He made his way carefully to the desk, and placed the tray down.

"I made lunch," he said, taking a large cup of steaming black coffee and placing it in front of Kaiba, along with a plate of more-than-enough sandwiches for the CEO, "Um, I know it wasn't on the list, but, er, I'm still a housekeeper, and-"

Kaiba waved a hand impatiently. "Stop bloody stuttering and get out."

Joey took the tray and scurried out, closing the door firmly behind him. Kaiba stared after him, slightly bewildered. He let his gaze drop to the food before him, allowing a small smirk cross his face. In all his time at KaibaCorp, no one had ever done something this nice before.

Feeling slightly – for lack of better word – touched Kaiba took a sip of the coffee. Strong, black and bitter. How he liked it.

It was only halfway through the plate of (extremely delicious) sandwiches that he realised that this was Joey's response to him saying that there would be no time for lunch. Smirking at the blonde's impertinence, he finished the morsel he was eating and started another one.

**xXx**

Joey stood outside, wishing with every fibre of his being that Kaiba would hurry up. It was ten past six, and his limo was waiting for him. The driver was no where to be seen, and the doors were locked. The blonde wasn't permitted to re-enter the KaibaCorp building after leaving it. The security guard was a tall, muscular man and Joey didn't want to risk an argument with him. However, he suspected they just made up that rule at the last minute just to yank is chain. Joey had walked away from the glass front of the building, tired of everyone's eyes watching him.

Kaiba's employees were strange. They seemed to hate each other, their sharp eyes watching one another during the day. It seemed to Joey that they were competing with each other. It took him a while to figure out what they were fighting for. Joey's question was answered mid-afternoon.

One person had actually cornered him in the bathroom. A man in his mid-thirties, he stood before the door, blocking it with hands on his hips and his expression deadly serious. "What do you think you're playing at?"

Joey frowned in confusion. "W-What are talking about? I'm not-"

"Oh don't play the innocent card! You're his housekeeper, aren't you? Think you're special, think you're his right-hand man." He moved closer. "There are four hundred KaibaCorp employees in this building alone. You will not succeed."

"What the…?" Joey felt his temper flare. He took a step foreword, remembering the stance he used to use in his 'gang' days; the one that showed he wasn't afraid of anything. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

The suit-clad man took a nervous step back. "You want to become the bosses' right hand man, don't you? I-I mean," he stuttered as Joey stepped foreword, "We all do. The pay is good and-" He tensed at the expression on Joey's face. "Look, maybe we were wrong…"

Joey's eyes narrowed. "Yes, you were wrong." He had then pushed past the man and proceeded to finish his tasks.

It seemed that Kaiba's employees were all enterprising people, who wanted nothing more than to suck up to him and become his right-hand man. For some unknown reason, this made Joey slightly mad. Kaiba put all his effort into his corporation, and his employees pay him back with brown-nosing and false countenances.

He hadn't seen much of the CEO all day. He was either rushing to meetings or yelling at people in-between typing on his computer. Joey didn't want to admit it out loud, but Kaiba worked extremely hard, something which he respected him for.

Right now, however, he hated him more than anything. Glancing at his watch, he groaned inwardly. It was almost twenty past. The sky was growing grey, and there were gentle drops of rain falling on the pavement before him. Joey regretted not wearing anything warmer than a t-shirt and jeans as he hugged his arms to his chest.

As if by some peculiar quirk, Kaiba emerged from the front door right then, Roland beside him, holding an umbrella for his boss. He unlocked the limo and opened the door. Joey ran over quickly and caught up just before the door was slammed shut. He got in after shooting the driver an apologetic smile.

"Where were you?" Kaiba asked as the blonde shut the door behind him.

"Waiting for you," Joey snapped back, buckling his belt and promptly crossing his arms across his chest. The interior of the limo was so warm compared to the September air that Joey couldn't help but shiver at the contrast.

Kaiba didn't respond. He watched Joey from the corner of his eye, noting the blonde's disposition; he seemed agitated, slightly annoyed. "Did you enjoy your little daytrip, mutt?"

"Enough with the dog names!" Joey said back half-heartedly, his voice having lost its edge from earlier. Arguing with Kaiba about the whole nickname thing was getting old, not to mention pointless. If he didn't stop before, the chances of him stopping anytime soon were null.

"Roland," Kaiba tapped on the window separating them from the driver. It was rolled down and Kaiba spoke again, "Take a detour to the usual spot."

"Yes Mr. Kaiba." The window was put back up again. Kaiba didn't elaborate on anything, and Joey was too afraid to ask questions. Under normal circumstances, he would be bold and brash, but Joey had learned to hold his tongue a lot better. He knew Kaiba had a snappy temper, and was growing wary of it, but at the same time, he had a good side - Joey firmly believed it was there… somewhere.

The car stopped, and Joey sat up a little straighter. They were hardly home yet, were they? He looked at Kaiba, and before he could ask, the door was opened. Kaiba exited first. "We'll only be half an hour," he instructed his driver.

Joey scrambled out after him, eager to see where they were. It was the richer part of town, he could tell. The buildings were well-kept, and the streets were spotless. It was only half past six and already people were wearing night dresses, the audible sounds of music in the background and the smell of cooked food.

Kaiba walked straight into what appeared to be a bar. Joey didn't follow him immediately, not sure if he was supposed to, but halfway through opening the door, Kaiba turned around and told him to hurry up.

Inside smelled like beer and night life already. Kaiba made his way straight to the back, to a booth which had frosted glass and a door. A waitress was by his side immediately.

"The usual," he said nonchalantly, and entered the room. Following, Joey noted a sign which read 'reserved' on the door. _Figures Kaiba would have his own private booth at the most upmarket bar in Domino… _Joey thought bitterly.

When he shut the door, Kaiba was already seated in a chair. The blond chose the chair opposite him and sat down.

"This is where I come to think," Kaiba said bluntly, eyes not leaving the table. Joey found in slightly strange for Kaiba to have something so normal. 'A place to think' wasn't something a young business man was likely to have.

The door opened, and the waitress from earlier was carrying two glasses of what looked like beer. She set them down on the table and left without a word. Joey tried to hide his surprise.

"The legal drinking age is twenty…" he said slowly, as Kaiba passed him his glass, wondering how on earth the brunet got served.

"Not for Seto Kaiba," Kaiba replied, taking the glass to his mouth and sipping gently.

Joey followed suit. He found it odd that Seto would order beer of all things. It seemed like something too normal for Kaiba – going to a bar and ordering beer. If it wasn't for the private booth he used, Joey would have thought aliens had kidnapped and replaced Kaiba with a new, fun version.

"I didn't think you drank alcohol," Joey said, finding his voice after a mouthful.

A small smirk ghosted Kaiba's face. "I can't say the same about you." Both men knew he was referring to their graduation party. Joey's face flushed slightly at the memory.

Kaiba leaned back into his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. After a brief minute's silence, he spoke. "You want to know why I brought you here, don't you?"

The blonde nodded. He suspected it wasn't from the goodness of his heart that Kaiba bought him a drink.

"I wanted to tell you something.." Kaiba tested the words, and not liking how they sounded, tried again, "No… I wanted to _ask_ you something."

He had Joey's interest. The blonde straightened in his chair, showing his attention. "What is it?" Joey's voice came out a lot softer than he had expected. He could see the worry on Kaiba's face. This was something important, and he would bet all his money that it was about one person, and one person only.

"Do you remember those adoption papers that you found the other day? The _rejected_ adopted papers," he emphasised the word, as if it would jig Joey's memory. The blonde didn't need reminding of them, however. They were still fresh in his mind.

"Yeah, I do. What about them?"

"I received a letter several months ago, informing me that I had no legal right to Mokuba and I had to apply to be his guardian. Or course, I ignored them."

Joey's almost choked on his drink. "What? Why would you do that? You'd only piss them off!"

The CEO nodded grimly. "I was stubborn. Of course I thought I had every right to be Mokuba's legal guardian. I am his sole living relative. We're financially stable…." He took another sip of beer and continued speaking. "They sent me a form a few weeks ago, as if giving me another chance."

"… Don't tell me you ignored that too?"

For the first time ever, Joey saw Kaiba look embarrassed. "Well… Yeah, I did."

Slamming his hands on the table, Joey said, "Kaiba! You idiot. If you love Mokuba so much you shouldn't do things like that! The law is the law, no matter how many companies you run."

"I know that!" Kaiba snapped back. "They came to visit me one day. Of course, if had to be a bad day – the place was untidy and Mokuba was mad at me for some petty thing. They rang the door bell three times before we heard it."

Joey shook his head. "And?"

"They gave me a warning, and another form." He caught Joey's eye and quickly said, "Yes, I did fill it out. And it got rejected."

"No wonder…" Joey finished his drink and sat back. "Why are you telling me?"

"Firstly," Kaiba said, "Because you'd snoop around anyway until you know. And secondly, I need your help."

There came the magic words. Joey had always dreamed of the day when he had the upper-hand over Kaiba, though he hadn't pictured it like this. Kaiba wasn't on his knees, pleading and begging, and Joey wasn't feeling the sense of smugness he had aways expected to come with it. Instead, he felt like Kaiba was ordering him to help, and he felt like he had to, even if he didn't want to. "Go on…" He eventually managed to say, hoping to encourage the CEO

"I'm going to get another chance… Make them see that I can raise Mokuba. They're going to visit one day, unexpectedly, and I _need_," he said the word so forcefully it scared Joey, "you, Wheeler, to be there."

"O…kay. What do I have to do? I don't see why…?"

"Just do your work as normal. Just… Keep up all your hard work and don't give them a reason to take Mokie away…"

"Why did they reject it? It's hardly because you ignored them, is it?"

Kaiba shook his head. "No… Think of it from their perspective. I'm eight teen, and run a company. How would I _know_ how to raise a teenage boy, let alone have the time to actually do it. They think I have time only for work."

"But… That's not true…" Joey said, weakly trying to console Kaiba.

Kaiba sighed in protest. "It is true, mutt. I'm trying my hardest to sort out all of KaibaCorp's problems. Then I can stay at home more, and work less. But… it's harder than I thought." He finished his own beer and leaned foreword, hands resting on the table. Joey heard the tiredness in his voice, something he had passed off as Kaiba's irritable mood the past week.

He realised he was wrong about Kaiba. He wasn't working constantly because he wanted to. He worked because he _had_ to. If he didn't sort out the problems, he would have no time to care for Mokuba. And no time caring for Mokuba meant no Mokuba.

"I promise I'll help, Kaiba," Joey said, "If what it takes is me to drag Mokuba from their clutches, I will help. He's a good kid, and so are…" His voice suddenly died in his throat. He couldn't say it. He couldn't openly praise Kaiba. Instead, he covered it up with a cough, and looked away.

The CEO knew what Joey was saying. He replied, speaking softly, "Anything you can do, Joey, just… do it. I'd rather loose KaibaCorp and everything I owned than my brother."

It was then that Joey saw a hint of fear in Kaiba's eye, barely visible, but it was still there. He found it hard to believe; Kaiba, who had only ever been arrogant and cocky, and at rare times civil, was scared. The strangest thing about it wasn't the fact that Kaiba was capable of being afraid. It was that Joey related to it. The fear in Kaiba's eyes mirrored his own, and for that strange reason, he gave him a wide smile and reassured, "I won't let you down, moneybags, I swear."

The smile on Kaiba's face in response was small, almost invisible, but it was enough to satisfy Joey.

**xXx**

"Your employees are strange."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow as he reclined back into the limo seat. "Explain."

"They're… They're like animals… Vultures… They seem to constantly compete with each other. One cornered me in the bathroom and practically told me they hated me…" He trailed off as he saw Kaiba half smiling. "What?" He said slowly, cautiously.

"If you think it's only because you're there, you're wrong. It's like that every single day." As Kaiba spoke, Joey noticed the bitterness creep slowly in his voice. "They're all out for themselves. From the janitor to the board of directors; they only care about one thing and one thing only; themselves."

Joey found it quiet shocking to hear those words coming from the brunet's mouth. Months ago, he could have called Kaiba a hypocrite, possibly hit him for being so stupid, but now, the words coming from Kaiba's mouth were true. He couldn't say Kaiba cared about only himself. There was always Mokuba in his life. Then his company, in second place.

And after their conversation today, he realised that it was always going to be that way. Mokuba would always be first. It made Joey feel strange deep down inside. Something inside, stirring an emotion he couldn't quiet indentify just yet…

**Thanks to all who reviewed the previous chapters. 46 reviews so far. I love you all…! :D **


	8. Chapter 8: Cake

_**Chapter Eight – Cake**_

It's safe to say that Joey was more-than-glad to see his first week over with. He had survived the foregoing weeks by working the time away. His daily schedule started at six am and didn't end until well past nine pm. He found his hours being filled with nothing but work. He couldn't afford to fall behind, and kept his head down and laboured away. Not that he had a choice really; the Kaiba mansion was so large, there was always something to be done. The workload hadn't really differed from his first few days. The only major thing noticeable around the household was the dramatic shift in atmosphere. The tense, uncomfortable environment that had seemed to follow Joey before had seemingly lifted. He felt more comfortable and confident in his work; the Kaiba household was starting to feel more homely to him.

As for the Mokuba adoption situation, it was an issue that hadn't been touched on quite yet. It seemed to Joey that the social workers who would inspect the Kaiba mansion were in no hurry to see if Mokuba was in safe hands. That in itself was suspicious to Joey, but he kept his thoughts to himself. There was no good in further worrying Kaiba over the entire thing. Joey merely kept his word and stayed on top of his work, something that was proving to be a little more challenging as the weeks dragged on.

On the eve of the twenty fifth of October, Joey hummed to himself as he made his way to his bedroom. It had been a long day; Kaiba had one of his infamous dinner parties with potential business partners, and it was Joey's task to prepare their meal. As he dodged his way in and out of the kitchen with plates of food, he would hear snippets of conversation, and of Kaiba being a civil, gracious host. Then, as soon as the last guest left and Kaiba shut the door behind them, he'd order Joey to run him a bath and proceed to complain angrily about how much he hated the people he had just had dinner with ten minutes previously.

Passing said CEO's office, Joey was relieved to see the monitor off. Since forcing Kaiba to bed those few weeks ago, the CEO had stopped working later than nine pm at home. He would instead switch off his computer at nine sharp and head to Mokuba's room, where they'd spend the best of an hour together.

"Psst, Joey!"

Turning around to the source of the noise, Joey saw Mokuba half-hidden behind the door to one of many spare rooms. He caught the blonde's eye and beckoned him towards him. Joey gave a glance behind him before stepping nimbly into the darkened bedroom. Mokuba quickly shut the door.

"What's with all the secrecy, kiddo?" Joey said, seating himself down on the bed.

Mokuba flicked on the light and pressed his fingers to his lips. "Shh! Seto will hear us!"

Joey frowned, but lowered his voice. "Okay, what is this all about? And why are we hiding from your brother?"

Glancing over his shoulders before he spoke, Mokuba replied, "Tomorrow is, as you probably didn't know, Seto's birthday."

The blonde blinked. The possibility of Kaiba knowing his birthday – and celebrating it nonetheless – seemed odd to him. He never saw the brunet as the kind of guy who would acknowledge the day he was born. "Yeah…?" Joey said slowly, uncertainly.

By the look in his eyes, Mokuba was obviously not as similar to his brother as he had thought. "I want to bake him a cake, 'cause I always just buy him one. Buuuut," he looked up with pleading, wide eyes, "I can't cook..."

Joey nodded, catching his drift. "… And you want me to help?"

"Please Joey?" he clasped his hands in front of his face and pouted. "For me?"

Joey sighed. How could he turn the teen down? Even if he did, Mokuba would probably try to make it himself. Though, even if it tasted terrible, Joey wagered Seto would still love it. "Fine," he said eventually, unable to resist to innocently wide eyes of Mokuba, "We'll make it when he goes to work tomorrow."

"Thanks Joey," Mokuba beamed, before opening the door and slipping away, no doubt to find his brother before going to sleep.

Turning off the light, Joey made his was to his room, shaking his head at the younger Kaiba. He was a devious one; Joey suspected he wasn't half as innocent as he acted. Though, he wouldn't be related to Kaiba if he wasn't the way he was…

"Ow!" Joey found himself colliding with something tall as he passed the bathroom. He stumbled back and lost his balance, crashing to the floor, "What the hell…?"

Looking up, he saw Kaiba towering over him "Watch where you're going, idiot!" His hands were folded over his chest, though Joey noted it was a good thing - obviously just after stepping out of his bath, the brunet had nothing more than a towel wrapped around his thin waist, the little drops of water that dotted his skin catching the light. He caught on that Joey was staring and gave a crooked, malicious smile. "Stare any longer and I'm going to have to charge you."

Realising just who he was staring at, Joey stood up quickly and brushed his jeans of imaginary dust. "Don't flatter yourself, Kaiba," he rebutted, trying his hardest to stop the embarrassment creeping across his face. "I don't swing that way…"

Kaiba snorted. "Yeah right…" Flicking off the bathroom light, he went to walk past Joey, but the blonde reached out his hand and caught onto his arm.

"Even if I did, it wouldn't be with a prick like you," Joey informed him, completely unaware of the hole he was digging himself into.

Raising an eyebrow, Kaiba said, "I beg to differ." His eyes were shining with the same devilment that often surfaced in Mokuba. Joey didn't like where this was going. He released his grip on Kaiba's arm.

"What are you talking about?" He demanded, though his voice was losing its vigour.

Seeing he had an advantage, Kaiba replied vaguely, "Your antics at graduation were quiet amusing, but I must inform that _I _don't swing that way either, Wheeler." His face was a perfect picture of seriousness, but inside he was dying with laughter. Seeing Joey look confused, Kaiba decided now would be the perfect time to leave him. Let what he said pester and grow inside his mind, nagging at him subconsciously for a long time…

Joey left Kaiba walk away without any more said. When he was sure he was gone, he made a beeline for his bedroom, slamming the door hard behind him. He fumbled with the lock for a few seconds before managing to lock it behind him. Why was he shaking so much?

"Damn Kaiba!" He wanted to shout, but it came out as nothing more than a mere whisper. Leaning his back against the door, Joey slowly slid to the ground, fist pressed firmly to his mouth. He wouldn't make any noise. He wouldn't…

Kaiba had been right, of course. He was always right about everything. He was spot-on about Joey; he _did_ swing that way. To a certain degree, at least.

It mortified him so much. Those shameful, unsanctified feelings he had for the same gender. He couldn't help it. It sometimes felt wrong and strange, and only at very rare times was Joey comfortable with it. The feelings were the same for women, but sometimes he found it hard to summon up the feelings for the opposite sex. They were either demanding or desperate, or always wanting more from him. Whereas guys… It was weirder, but they understood each other…

"How does Kaiba know?" Joey whispered, pressing his hand to his mouth in embarrassment, "He mentioned graduation… What did I say?"

He tried to think back on the night. Tristan had spiked almost every beverage cooler in the building – not that the teachers cared anyway – and had already shared a bottle of vodka with Joey before the party had started.

Kaiba had been there, looking picture-perfect in his white suit, standing awkwardly in the corner. His expression was of pure boredom, watching his classmates act stupid and drink themselves silly. He was above all of that of course. Joey remembered standing across the hall from him, half drunk, complaining to Yugi about how Kaiba should stop acting so superior and join in.

The last thing Joey remembered was drinking back more, and walking over to the brunet to ask him to step in for a picture…

"Ugh, it's fucking useless." Joey slammed his fist against the wall beside him in frustration and stood up. He couldn't remember anything of that night… The best thing to do now was to sleep and forget it all. If he managed to ignore Kaiba's remarks, then maybe it would all go away… Though Joey doubted that Kaiba would let it drop now that he found something completely new to tease him over…

**xXx**

"Un-fucking-believable!" When Kaiba opened the door to his office, there was a stack of paper work a mile high on his desk. He quickly rounded on his secretary, who tried and failed to stutter a pitiful excuse before being banished from his office.

"And you didn't think to consult me first?" Currently speaking down the phone, Kaiba was quickly working up the mother of all headaches. He couldn't believe the fools who worked at his office. Where they seriously college graduates? "Look, I don't care who did it. I'll deal with that issue later. You just call and- Shut. Up! Don't you dare interrupt me when I'm speaking! You call the shipping company and sort this out immediately. I want those in stores by Friday, latest." He slammed the phone down and winced as the sound pierced his already-sensitive head. In the world of business, you had to be blunt and harsh. If you weren't, you wouldn't survive. It was simply a game of endurance.

There was a knock on his door, and Kaiba beckoned them in. It was just his secretary again. "Sir, the president of Industrial Illusions is here."

Sighing, Kaiba grabbed his half-drunken cup of coffee and drained the last of it. God, how he would need it. The president of the company was a stubborn man, and Seto was at the end of his tether trying to seal an extremely difficult deal.

He handed his cup to his secretary as he passed her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Kaiba but her off. "Sir, Master Mokuba called to say-"

"It will have to wait." He said, leaving her behind. "It can't be too urgent." Without another word, he left the room to begin his tedious and extremely boring meeting, to which he would probably leave several hours later feeling no different than before.

**xXx**

"Joey, what if he doesn't come home!"

Mokuba was sitting on the counter watching Joey spread the last of the cream on top of the cake. They had spent over two hours carefully planning and preparing the dessert, and Joey was too proud of his handiwork to let anyone else decorate it.

"He will," Joey said, reaching for the bowl of strawberries beside him, "He always does." He started placing them in a circle on top, making sure each one was even.

"Yeah, but… Sometimes, I get really scared and think 'What if he never came home'. Like, what if something happened to him, or…" Mokuba trailed off, catching Joey's eyes as the blond stopped what he was doing to give him an incredulous look.

"Mokuba. You seriously need to chill about these kinds of things. You know what they say though… You can't kill a bad thing." He saw Mokuba's expression and quickly apologized. "Sorry, sorry. Just joking. But seriously, you shouldn't worry. When I was your age… Wait, never mind. Bad example. What I'm trying to say is, you worry a hell of a lot for a kid. Kaiba is more than capable of finding his way home. And even if anything did happen to him," Joey concluded, "Yugi and all of us would take care of ya." He finished firmly, adding the final strawberry. Stepping back to admire his creation, he said, "What do you think?"

"Perfect." The younger Kaiba said, hopping down from the counter. "Thank you so much Joey. You're the best. The last cook we had wouldn't even let me in the kitchen, let alone bake a cake for my brother." He took a left over strawberry from the bowl and popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly. "He should be home soon."

On cue, the front door slammed extremely loudly. Joey mentally groaned. _Great. When he slams the door, he's normally in a bad mood_…

"I'm gonna say hello," Mokuba said, leaving Joey behind in the kitchen to serve up dinner. "Sweeten him up a bit."

Joey had made lasagne earlier in the day to leave time for cake, so all he had to do was heat it up. By the time the microwave was finished, he could hear Mokuba and Seto in the dining room, no doubt awaiting food. There was gentle laughter coming, which was good; Mokuba must have eradicated Seto's bad temper.

"Ah, finally," Kaiba said as Joey appeared with his plate. The blonde wordlessly placed the food before the two brothers, and then sat at his usual spot to eat his own meal. As usual, Kaiba ignored him to discuss what he did at KaibaCorp with his brother. At this stage, Joey usually zoned out, though today, he was finding it hard. He constantly felt Kaiba's gaze on him. It made him feel uneasy. He knew why, of course. Kaiba was trying to achieve a reaction. After what he said last night, there was no doubt in Joey's mind that it was to do with that situation. He wouldn't give in though. He wouldn't look up, he wouldn't catch his gaze…

"Seto," Mokuba said sweetly, looking up at his big brother, "Do you know what today is?"

"Saturday." The CEO replied, taking a bite of his lasagne. "Why?"

Shaking the head, Mokuba replied, "Not just Saturday…" He smiled wildly. "It's the twenty fifth…"

Joey saw Seto's eyes widen with realisation. "Oh, it is, isn't it! I forget," he added sheepishly.

"As always," Mokuba muttered, "Luckily, I didn't." He finished his lasagne and pushed the plate away, earning a stern look from Seto. "I ate most of the vegetables…" He added quickly. To avoid any further confrontation, he hastily added, "So I made you a cake to celebrate."

For once, Seto looked surprised. "You did?"

"Well, Joey helped a little…" He glanced at the blonde, who was failing terribly at trying to avoid their conversation.

"Well, I am _flattered_," Seto said, his tone of voice irritatingly teasing, "that my housekeeper would go to such lengths to please a man like me." He emphasised heavily on the words 'please' and 'man'. Joey choked on his lasagne, his face turning red.

"Shut up," he managed to splutter out between coughing. Reaching for the glass of water before him, he swallowed it all back.

Mokuba looked confused between the two, but didn't ask questions. He had learned that, sometimes, it was better to not know when it came to his brother's banter, especially regarding banter towards Joey. "Are you ready Joey?"

The blonde nodded, and silently took Kaiba and Mokuba's plates back to the kitchen. He avoided Seto's eyes completely.

"Stupid… Fucking… Asshole…" He angrily muttered under his breath as he dumped the plates beside the sink. He took the cake from the fridge as Mokuba entered, handing it to the teen. "You go ahead, I better wash up…"

"Aw, but Joey, you practically made it. Don't you want some?"

Shaking his head, Joey declined. "I'll get some later."

"It could be all gone…" Mokuba said, glancing lovingly at the dessert.

"I'm not a cake person, Mokuba. You go one ahead…" Really, he just didn't want to see the sheer ridicule in Kaiba's blue eyes. If he cracked other joke about Joey's sexual preference, he would probably lose it.

Of course, Mokuba would have to pull the puppy eyes. "Please Joey?" He stuck out his bottom lip for extra effect. "_Pleeease?_" As always, it worked.

"Fine," Joey sighed and held the door open. "Go ahead."

"Always works," Mokuba muttered inaudibly to himself as he left.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

Mokuba placed the cake in front of Seto. "Ta-dah!" He stood back expectantly, hands clasped behind his back. "Do you like it?"

The CEO leaned back in his chair and eyed it appreciatively. "Nice work, Mokie." He reached out an arm and Mokuba took it as an invitation to hug him. Joey looked away, unable to bear the sibling closeness. It was too painful…

Mokuba broke away and smiled. "Happy birthday brother," he said in a sing-song voice. "I'll go get a knife to cut it…" Happy with himself, he disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Joey to fumble awkwardly with his watch in the dining room.

"You know, I made the cake," Joey said, catching Seto's eye and smirking. "Some praise would be nice." He was joking, naturally.

"Shut up, fruitcake," Seto said, also joking. Though, Joey didn't see it that way.

"Why you-" Joey clenched his fists. "I told you, I'm not _queer_!"

"Could've fooled me..." He muttered, folding his arms, a cocky smirk on his face. He was enjoying teasing the blonde way to much.

"Why are you still harping on about it!" Joey hissed, leaning closer. "It's not funny… I get the dog-related humour, but this is just stupid! Can't you be serious for once..?"

"What? I can't have my fun now?"

Joey gritted his teeth. Like talking to a brick wall… "Last time we properly spoke, you were practically begging me to help you. Don't think I haven't forgotten that. I swear I'll tell Mokuba about the adoption and-"

"He knows," said Seto flatly. Joey wasn't sure if he was lying or not. He couldn't really just out-right say it.

The brunet eyed the small amount of space between him and the housekeeper. "Are you coming on to me?" He couldn't even hide the smirk on his face as Joey's jaw dropped.

"I'm back!" Mokuba said, walking into the room. He stopped short upon seeing Joey. The blonde had ran his fingers on the cream along the surface of the cake – completely ruining the top - and swiped them across Seto's face. Sweet revenge for earlier… He watched the brunet's mouth open in surprise..

"I am not a fruitcake." Joey said boldly, standing up. "Jerk!"

Kaiba's blue eyes widened in shock as he stared at the blonde for several silent seconds. Mokuba held his breath. What was going on? The brunet eventually stood up. He gazed blankly at Joey for several seconds before reaching his hand out and swiping it across the surface of the cake. He then caught Mokuba's wide eyes and smirked.

"Sorry about the cake, Mokie, I love it but… I can't let the mutt get away with something like that, can I?" He reached foreword and tried to smear Joey's face, but the blonde jumped back, surprisingly smiling, an obvious sign of relief he wasn't going to be executed for what he had just done….

"Too slow moneybags! Your age is catching up on ya!" He stuck out his tongue, and Kaiba moved foreword again, gritting his teeth when he missed.

"Mokuba, grab him!"

The younger Kaiba brother stared momentarily at his brother – was it his brother anymore? – before snapping into action, dropping the knife in his hands and reaching for Joey. He missed the first time, but lunged again and managed to grab Joey's shirt when he tried to run.

Kaiba advanced. "Pin him down, Mokuba. Bad dogs need to learn manners."

Joey tried to wiggle away, but it was too late. Kaiba had his cornered against the dining table. He leaned back, trying in vain to get out of Kaiba's reach. The CEO simply leaned foreword, and pressed his hand to Joey's face. He smeared the cream across his forehead and down his cheek, before dropping his hand and waited for Joey to respond.

The blonde opened his eyes, and found himself looking straight into Kaiba's eyes. He was about to push him away, when he realised how weird they were positioned – Joey half-lying on the table, Kaiba pressed against him, their heads inches apart.

He tried to speak, but he couldn't. Kaiba was giving him a look, one which was alien to him. His eyes were connected to Joey's, but they weren't glaring or angry, as they usually would be. They were soft, the same kind of eyes he used to look at Mokuba with.

Joey suddenly noticed the rhythm of his heartbeat picking up. It got faster, and with it, he felt more and more unfamiliar in his own skin. He began to panic; what the hell was going on? Was it Kaiba doing it to him?

"Seto? Joey?"

They both jumped. Joey freed his hands and pushed Kaiba off. "God moneybags," he said, pressing his hand to his face and wiping the cream away, "You got it in my hair and everything."

Kaiba returned to his seat and resumed his annoying smirking. Mokuba was shocked at his brother's actions. He had never seen him so… amused before. "Typical of you to say, fruitcake…" He gave Mokuba an apologetic smile. "Will we wager at eating the cake, Mokie?" Snapping his fingers to Joey, he added, "C'mon, housekeeper. The time for fun and games is over."

Joey muttered an inaudible response under his breath that would have gotten him fired if Seto heard, and started cutting Mokuba's prized – but also ruined - cake. The teen was having a hard time controlling his laughter.

"Here." Joey said shortly, shoving the cake in front of Kaiba.

The CEO's face fell slightly, and it took Joey a few seconds to realise it was on purpose. "What? No 'happy birthday' song?"

Turning on his heel, Joey left for the kitchen before his temper snapped, trying his best to ignore Mokuba's hysterical laughter and Kaiba's incessant sniggering. _Damn Kaiba…_ He thought, violently turning the tap on and almost breaking it, _why did he have to do that? What is he playing at?_

He knew why Kaiba was teasing him, and while it annoyed him, he had taken it too far. He was practically straddling him on the table – their hips were so close to touching…

Joey pressed his hand to his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It had returned to normal, thankfully. The thing that scared him the most was wondering what had caused it to speed up so much back then?

"It can't be Kaiba," he said, dipping his hands into the water, grateful of how hot the water was. While it burned, it also cleared his mind. "It can't be…" He felt the blood rush to his face, and he pressed a hand to his mouth to stop any sound coming out.

It all started with his own bloody stupidity. If he had checked Kaiba out yesterday, he wouldn't be in this situation. Kaiba wouldn't be teasing him, and he wouldn't have almost screwed his job up.

"What the hell was I thinking?" He asked himself aloud. "Smearing whipped cream on his face… Maybe I am just a fucking queer after all…" Grabbing a plate, he submerged it in water and began scrubbing viciously at it, successfully failing to think of anything and everything that would distract him from Kaiba…

**xXx**

"Seto, what was all that about?"

Mokuba and his brother had retreated to their family living room, and were seated on the couch, Xbox controllers in their hands.

"All what about?" Kaiba asked, though he had a fairly good idea of what Mokuba was talking about.

"The name calling… The cream incident…" Mokuba narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Chuckling, Kaiba shook his head. "No, Mokie. It's just playful teasing, that's all."

He younger Kaiba didn't look convinced. "Yeah, yeah… Do you think you could just lay off Joey for a while, Seto?"

"Why?"

"Because you're always mocking him, and I think you might go too far sometimes…" He glanced up at his brother, who wasn't smiling anymore.

"He's well able to stand up for himself. He's not four years old."

Mokuba placed his controller down and gave him brother a stern look. "Seto…"

Giving up, the CEO sighed, "Fine, fine, I'll lay off him… For now…" He nodded at Mokuba's controller. "Ready?"

Satisfied with Seto's response, the youngest Kaiba picked up his controller and gave him a wicked smile. It wasn't often he played against Seto; he was bound to win this time. "Ready," he confirm, and they launched into playing, forgetting entirely about their worries.

**Phew. Longest chapter yet. :D Not great, but we're starting to get there with the Seto/Joey relationship. Well, kinda… More of Joey's feelings will be explored next chapter too. I've been neglecting that aspect of the story for too long. :/ Also, no offence was intended by using 'fruitcake' and 'queer'. It just doesn't seem like Joey would admit to calling himself gay. It's too formal, especially for him. x]**

**Reviews are, as usual, loved. :)**


	9. Chapter 9: Kaiba's Dinner Party

_**Chapter Nine – Kaiba's Dinner Party**_

Joey had never felt more stressed in his life. Not only had Kaiba informed him at the last minute that he was to cook for a dinner party of six, but he also had twelve rooms to vacuum, washing to finish, wash all the downstairs windows and, to top it off, there was no food left in the fridge. In little under two hours, he had to shop, clean the house, run Kaiba's stupid errands and prepare a three-course meal for rich business men.

His day had been complete crap since the moment he woke up. Joey had woken up on, as they say, the wrong side of the bed. Literally, he had rolled from his bed, onto the floor, while hitting his head against the bedside locker in the process. It was sore, but needless to say it woke him pretty quickly.

"Who the hell falls out of a double bed anyway?" He had asked himself, standing up and rubbing his sore forehead. The bang from the impact was probably going to leave a bruise. "Great," he muttered, rooting through his clothes drawer, "Something else for Kaiba to laugh at…"

By the time Joey had showered and reached the kitchen, Kaiba was already waiting for him, impatiently drumming his fingers on the table. "Finally!" He had chided, "I'm expecting a dinner party tonight. Six guests will be attending. I expect a decent three-course meal this time. We don't want a repeat of what happened the last time…"

He was referring to the last dinner party the Kaiba's held. Joey had worked his hardest to make the food to Kaiba's requirements, slaving for hours to prepare the perfect dinner meal. Only, when he had served his food, his guests were astounded by the fact Kaiba's 'servant' (their words, to be precise) had skipped out on starters, and they then proceeded to criticise how 'bland' his cooking tasted. Needless to say, they had spent the best of twenty minutes complaining to Kaiba that his servant was worthless and needed to be taught some manners.

Joey hadn't been hurt more by their speaking nastily of him while he was still in their presence than by the fact that Kaiba didn't defend him. He had _agreed_ with them, bad-mouthing his 'uselessness' as he weaved in and out of the kitchen and dining room with plates of food he had poured all his efforts into.

When the guests had left, Joey hadn't spoken to Kaiba, ignoring his sarcastic remarks and failed attempts at trying to raise his temper. Even now, he merely nodded as Kaiba ordered him what to do. It had been two days since that horrid dinner party, and Joey's wounds were still fresh.

"Mutt? Are you purposely ignoring me, or have you gone deaf?"

Joey pretended he didn't hear Kaiba and dodged into the kitchen. He was going to try his hardest to avoid the brunet today. Kaiba may think their banter was harmless, but it was beginning to wear Joey thin. He just wanted to work and get on with it; he didn't deserve to be constantly put down.

Trying back his apron, he started working on the usual breakfast – pancakes, with additional extra-strong coffee for Seto. As he cooked, Joey was made aware of the headache forming behind his forehead. He pinned the blame of Kaiba and his impending dinner party.

_Stupid prick… Why did he tell me at the last minute? I have so much to do without cooking for his stuck-up CEO pals…_

When the food was eventually ready – was it just Joey's imagination or did everything seem to be taking twice as long than usual today? – he carried it out to the table. Seto folded his newspaper and stared expectantly at the blonde. Mokuba's eyes were glued to a Nintendo game, so he took no notice to his brother's usual comments.

"If you worked any slower you'll be going backwards," he drawled, "What took so long?"

Joey simply shrugged and set the plate of pancakes down before the siblings. Mokuba grabbed a few and doused them in syrup, before leaving the room, no doubt to watch television, as was his usual morning schedule.

"Wheeler, are you purposely ignoring me? Answer me, dammit!"

"Yes, Kaiba, I _am_ ignoring you. Okay?" Joey snapped, feeling his temper rise, his skin growing hot. He tried to control his breathing – in, out, in, out – and poured Kaiba's coffee out, trying his best to stop his hands shaking.

"And why would you want to?" Kaiba was smiling with his eyes; Joey could tell. The arrogance of his nature reached his tone of voice.

"Is it such a bad thing?" Joey asked, placing the coffee pot down loudly, and walking towards the kitchen doors, "that I just want a day where I don't have to put up with up your fucking oh-so superior wit today." He closed the kitchen door loudly, defiantly, behind him, feeling the hot pulses through his veins. He had come so close to just losing his temper and slapping Kaiba across his smug, mocking face…

_I've done it again…_ He thought with regret, _I lost it with Kaiba again… I'm fucked this time…_

Suddenly very tired, Joey pressed his hand to his mouth to stop himself from shouting in aggravation. He felt an odd sensation behind his eyes that he hadn't felt in months. _Tears?_

"Damn Kaiba," he spat, rubbing his eyes furiously. Joey hadn't cried in months, and his frustration at Kaiba wasn't going to break that record.

Luckily, Kaiba didn't approach him for the rest of day. By the time Joey had recovered enough to leave the kitchen to see if Mokuba had finished his own breakfast, Kaiba had long since retreated to his home office. The younger brother gave Joey a friendly smile as he took his plate. "I heard shouting earlier," he said, "Are you alright Joey?"

Unlike his brother, Mokuba had been horrified with the behaviour of the guests the other day. He hadn't been invited to that particular party, but had hung out with Joey in the kitchen during the duration of the afternoon. He listened to the comments of the guests, and had scolded his brother that night about how he should've defended Joey.

"I'm fine," Joey replied, ruffling his hair.

"You sure, your face looks kind of… red?"

Joey pressed a hand to his face, self conscious. "I'm just kinda busy…" He lifted up the plate as if to demonstrate, and the younger Kaiba smiled apologetically.

Mokuba picked up his school bag which was resting beside his feet and stood up. "I better go," he declared, "Later Joey…"

The blonde watched the teen leave the room, before snapping back into action and beginning his long, tiresome day. If he could just avoid Kaiba for a few hours…

**xXx**

By four-thirty, Joey wasn't sure he'd ever see the end of the day. He had been run off his feet the entire day, and the ache from his head had spread to every other inch of his body. He wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed, but the infamous dinner party had only just begun…

Currently, Seto was seated with his guests, all eagerly awaiting their food. He had failed to inform Joey that they would be arriving so early, leaving the blonde panicking to finish cooking. He appeased them all by serving soup for starters and cracking open a bottle of wine.

"He's new, Seto," a voice commented as Joey passed them their appetizers. "What happened to the old one?"

Joey guessed they were speaking about him. He would have liked to speak for himself, but he was under strict orders from Seto to not open his mouth unless told to do so. He guessed it was his punishment for being short-tempered this morning…

"My old housekeeper-come-chef was fired. Incompetent woman." Joey placed the soup in front of Kaiba.

"Mm, he's cute," one woman in her mid-thirties spoke, eyeing Joey from behind her thick-framed glasses.

"Hardly worth your time, Melissa," Kaiba said, "He's almost as incompetent as his predecessor."

Joey could feel his face turn red as they spoke about him, a mixture of anger towards Kaiba, and embarrassment. He hastily walked back into the kitchen, unable to hear another word from Kaiba about him. He had a good idea what was going through the CEO's mind – he wanted to get Joey's temper up, get him to lose it in front of his guests.

The blonde wasn't going to let that happen, though. He would not allow Kaiba to do this to him.

He heard cacophonous laughter from the room, and it pierced his head. Joey hadn't had time to find aspirin in the mansion all day, and he would be damned before he succumbed to asking Kaiba. He would probably just give him something awful anyway…

"He wasn't the best find, but sadly, the only person to apply for the position… I had no choice to hire the mutt."

He sighed. Some things never change… Re-entering the dining room, Joey saw everyone was finished eating. He took their plates, doing his upmost best to ignore Kaiba. They had, thankfully, moved onto a new topic. Something to do with KaibaCorp; Mokuba was plainly bored, fiddling aimlessly with his fork.

By the time Joey had began dishing out the dinner, the room was growing louder with the noise of talking. He was growing flustered. People were telling him to hurry up, and Seto was trying to get his attention. He almost dropped the plates as he passed them around. Only a gently squeeze on his arm from Mokuba really saved him from losing it.

"Mutt, you forgot the gravy."

"Yes sir." Another one of Kaiba's orders from earlier – he had to call Seto 'sir' in front of the guests.

He ran in to fetch Seto's beloved gravy and returned, nearly knocking it over as he hastily placed it down.

"Watch it, mutt!"

"Aw Seto, go easy on him." It was the woman from earlier. "He's all hot and bothered. Do the rich people intimidate you, Joey?"

Shooting a confused glance at Kaiba, Joey saw him smirking at his guests. The blonde followed his gaze, and noted that they were all mockingly looking at him. _Just bow and leave… _A voice of reason in his head said, but Joey's feet seemed firmly planted to the ground. He felt the tears from earlier prick his eyes, he bit his bottom lip. It only made it worse.

"Aw look, he's upset," the woman cooed, her voice shrill and full of mocking. It made Joey cringe, but also helped him snap back to reality.

He turned on his heel and left the kitchen. When the doors were firmly shut, he slid down to his knees.

_He's such an ass… _Joey though, pressing his palms to his eye sockets. _What did I ever do to him? I work hard, I do everything I can for him. Is it not enough?_

Huddling his knees to his chest, Joey wrapped his arms around his legs to rested his cheek against them. He had never felt this defeated before. There were times when he had wanted to quit, to try for another job, but they had all been half-hearted. Like the time he was to wash all the upstairs windows from the outside. It at the time made him want to hand in a resignation form, but in retrospect it wasn't too bad.

But now, he wasn't so sure. Kaiba was truly malicious.

_This is revenge for snapping at him this morning, _Joey suddenly realised, _why fire me when he can just simply push me around…_

"Dessert, Wheeler!"

Joey's head snapped up at the sound of Kaiba's obnoxious voice. He stood up, dusted himself off, and walked back into the room. Wordlessly, he took all the plates from the guests and hurried back into the kitchen. Kaiba made a few comments, but he kept his mouth shut.

_I'm only feeding him the fuel for his fire,_ Joey kept telling himself.

He dumped the stack of plates beside the sink and grabbed the new, clean stack from the table.

"He's possibly the worst thing I ever had in this place. Not very useful, but good for when you need to vent your stress."

The remark took Joey by surprise; he wasn't watching where he was going and tripped over his foot. The plates went crashing down, Joey with them. He tried to catch onto the counter top, but onto manage to pull out the drawer full of cookware. That also crashed o the floor.

Joey landed on his wrist, and there was a shock of pain through his arm. he stared at his hand for a few minutes, breathing harshly, before hearing the scrape of chairs and the kitchen doors opened. He screwed his eyes shut.

_Please don't be Kaiba, please don't be-_

"Wheeler?"

_Shit!_ Joey tried to move, but his body was numb from the surprise. He clutched his wrist to his chest and screwed up his eyes, hoping that Kaiba would just fire him then and there, because he didn't know how he would live with what he had just done if he continued working here.

**xXx**

Kaiba had heard the sudden crash from the kitchen. His guests raised their heads, looking confused, silently demanding him for an explanation. Placing his wine glass down, the young CEO excused himself from the table momentarily. Mokuba tried to catch his gaze as he passed, but he was shot a stern look, one which he deciphered as 'stay there'.

Closing the double doors behind him, Kaiba walked tentatively into the room. He didn't see his housekeeper anywhere. "Wheeler?" He asked loudly in the silence, his voice stern. He took a step foreword and his foot his something. A saucepan? He saw one beside it, and other. Following the trail of cookware around the kitchen's centre island, he discovered his entire drawer of pots and pans strew everywhere. Not only that, there was fragments of broken plates strewn all over the tiled floor.

"Shit…" He cursed under his breath. "Wheeler? Where are you?"

Something near him suddenly whimpered. Kaiba looked down immediately and saw his blonde housekeeper. He was surprised he hadn't seen him first. He was on his knees, leaning over something.

"Wheeler?" Kaiba's voice was harsh. He dropped to his own knees and tried to get a better look at Joey.

The blonde was cradling his right arm in his left, holding it closely to his chest. His eyes screwed up tightly, teeth clenched together as if he was trying to hold back any sound that was trying to escape. Kaiba could feel his pulse in his throat as he looked at Joey. Something strange was going on…

"Hey, Wheeler, are you-" He placed his hands on Joey's shoulders and the blonde jumped. He turned his head sharply, looking at Kaiba with an expression of mixed fear and sadness.

"K-Kaiba! I'm so sorry, it fell and I-" He choked on his words and swallowed. "It hurts…" He moaned, closing his eyes tightly again. His breathing was staggered. Kaiba saw the wet lines streaking his face. He first thought it was sweat – he wanted to believe that – but then tears fell from Joey's eyes and he felt the panic rise slightly within him. He gave Joey's shoulder a gentle shake. It felt hot underneath his shirt. "What happened?" Joey didn't respond. "Wheeler, what happened?"

Opening his eyes, Joey managed to say, "I-I slipped and dropped everything…" His eyes grew wide and he pressed a hand to his moth. "I'm sorry Kaiba, I ruined everything… Everything! Stupid, I'm so, so stupid…" He wriggled away from his employer and tried to stand up. He was still clutching his wrist; Kaiba suspected it was involved somehow. "Fire me, please just… I just wanna quit…"

"Don't-" Kaiba went to say, trying to stop Joey standing. He went grab hold of his arm but missed.

Joey stood up and tried to back away, but suddenly his vision went blurry. He bit down hard on his lip to try to stop himself from spinning but then he realised it was the room that was moving. He reached out behind him, banging his wrist and sending another jolt of pain up his arm. "K-Kaiba?" He stuttered, trying to support himself against the counter. "I c-can't… Where are…?" Joey didn't finish the sentence. His knees unexpectedly buckled and his conscience went.

Shocked, Kaiba managed to move just in time to catch him. The blonde was heavier than he seemed, and Kaiba had to slowly move him to the ground before inspecting what was wrong.

His face was deathly pale. Kaiba pressed a hand reluctantly against his cheek – the heat from his skin made him wince slightly - and shook the blonde's head slightly. "Wheeler? Can you hear me?" He patted his hand against his skin, trying to rouse him.

Joey groaned, and tried to open his eyes, but he found them too heavy to move. "Mmm, no?"

"Well, obviously you can hear me if you answered." Kaiba said shortly. "What happened?"

Opening one eye, Joey managed to say, "… my wrist…" he mumbled, suddenly feeling so very tired. He tried to sit up, but his conscience started to slip away. Kaiba was calling his name, but as hard as he tried he couldn't respond. The last thing he remembered before blacking out was Kaiba's shocking blue eyes and someone shouting his name.

**xXx**

Joey felt something warm wrap around his body. A pair of arms, maybe? A voice called his name, first appearing gentle, then anxious.

"…Wheeler… Me… Mutt…"

_Mutt_? Joey thought, his mind feeling groggy, _Only Kaiba calls me that. Is it Kaiba? _He tried to open his eyes but something was pressing down on his arm, hurting him. He screwed his eyes shut tighter and endured the pain, wincing everytime it washed over him. He thought it would never end, the waves getting more and more mind-numbing, but then, suddenly, it was gone.

He was moving, floating in mid-air. There were soft voices and someone gently lifting. Joey felt sick. He heard a sound so pitiful it scared him to realise it came from his mouth. It was _him_. His own voice was starting to make him feel uncomfortable.

Another shock of pain hit him. Only, this time, he knew where it came from. His wrist was aching, the touch of someone prodding and poking it with their clumsy fingers causing waves of torment to rush through him.

Something was touching his forehead, gently shushing him into a sleep he needed so well. Their hand was warm and soft, pushing his hair back from his forehead and lulling him away from a world he could never escape…

**xXx**

Hours later, the shrill chirping of birds roused Joey from his sleep. Cracking open one eye, he found himself staring at the large expanse of his bed. _When the hell did I get here? _He opened his other eye and chanced looking around. He was definitely in his room, though not sure how he got there.

He tried to push himself up with his hands, but his wrist wouldn't support him. Looking down, Joey saw it to be wrapped in bandages. "Okay…" He said aloud, "Plan B." Rolling onto his back, he sat up, elbows digging into the mattress to support him. The covers fell from his torso and he shivered. Why was it so _cold?_

Glancing around the room, he found the source of the problem; the large window across the room was open, the curtains framing it blowing in the soft breeze. The sun was up, shining directly into the room and illuminating a large patch of the floor, something which didn't usually happen in the morning. Which meant only one thing: he had slept it…

Joey turned his head to see what time it was. _Eight am? _"Shit," he hissed, his recollection of the recent events returning - he'd blacked out in front of Kaiba. Throwing back the covers, he hoisted himself out of bed and began searching through the pile of clothes before. "Kaiba is gonna kill me…. Oh god, I'm fired. I am so fired." He grabbed a white shirt and threw it on, hastily buttoning it to the top. He failed to notice the door to his room open as he searched frantically for a pair of jeans.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" It was Kaiba, towering over him.

Joey swallowed nervously. He did not look happy; his arms were folded firmly across his chest and he was sporting his best death-insinuating glare. "I was getting dressed," Joey replied, ashamed of how quiet his voice sounded.

"The sick should be sleeping. Get back into bed." Kaiba's eyes were cold; Joey couldn't read a shed of emotion in there.

"The sick…?" The blonde said slowly. "Kaiba, I'm fine. What are you talking about?" Even as the words left his mouth, he was sorely reminded of the events of earlier – he had dropped half of Kaiba's cookware drawer, hurt his wrist and fainted. His face suddenly turned pink upon remembering.

Knowing exactly what the blonde had realised, Kaiba smirked grimly. "Yeah, I'm talking about that." He indicated to Joey to sit down. The blonde complied. To his surprise, Kaiba reached out and placed his hand on his forehead. After a few silent seconds, he said, "Don't worry, I've had my rabies shot, mutt."

Joey huffed. "I was just waiting for that…" He glanced up at Kaiba's hand and frowned. "What are you doing?"

Kaiba removed his hand. "Checking your temperature, idiot."

"Don't you use a thermometer for that?"

Kaiba ignored him. "… You're still feverish."

"I'll live." Joey felt the breeze from the window brush against his arm and he shivered. "Why is it so cold?" He asked angrily, not directing the question at anyone in particular. Crossing his arms over his chest, he rubbed his arms vigorously in a vain attempt to warm himself. "And what are you doing here?"

Kaiba was about to answer, but he saw Joey sway slightly. Catching on his arm, he pushed him firmly back onto the bed. "Get back to sleep, you idiot. If you faint again, Mokuba will kill me."

Caught by surprise, Joey flopped back onto the pillow. "So, um, what happened when I… You know…"

"Fainted?" The brunet's eyes were full of teasing. "Don't you remember?"

"Eh, no." Joey could vaguely remember the guests arriving, bowing for them all, and everything after that was just a vague blur. He also remembered being teased by the snobby visitors, tripping up, smashing the plates and hurting his wrist. He couldn't remember anything else.

"No doubt, you were delirious," Kaiba informed, "But to recap, you not only managed to nearly break the kitchen floor by dropping everything on it, but you also tried to ruin my reputation as a capable host."

Joey pressed his hand to his forehead and groaned in embarrassment. "Shit..."

"Yes, 'shit' is right," Kaiba agreed.

"What about your dinner party?"

"Ruined." He said shortly.

Joey had no idea what to say to that. What do you say? "I'm sorry," he managed to reply, knowing no matter what he could say would appease Kaiba's now-wounded ego. "It's my entire fault."

"Despite all I say about you mutt," Kaiba said, "You have impeccable timing. Halfway through dinner you decided it would be the perfect moment to wreck half my kitchen."

The blonde wasn't sure if Kaiba was mad or not. He chose to assume the worst, and said, "I'm sorry, Kaiba, I really am."

Then, Kaiba shocked him by saying, "Don't be. I am partially to blame for all this." His voice was so genuine, it almost scared Joey. He wasn't entirely sure if Kaiba was just pretending to be nice, or if he really meant it. There was no doubt in his mind that if the same situation had happened at school, Kaiba would have been the last person who would have seen if he was alright. But, here he was, not only speaking civilly to Joey, but in his bedroom - albeit, keeping a safe distance – and acting truly concerned. He was used to harsh, mean Kaiba. A nice Kaiba was a bit unnatural.

"How are you to blame?" Joey said, sitting up and looking flustered. "I was to one who decided to faint during the middle of your dinner." He realised his surprise at Kaiba being so nice was coming out as anger, and he tried to calm himself.

"I should have told you earlier." Kaiba said simply, not looking at Joey. "And my behaviour during the meal forces me to apologize. Mokuba would never speak to me again if I didn't."

_Ah, so it's Mokuba who is the incentive…_ There went Joey's thoughts of Kaiba being nice for once. Even so, for Kaiba to do something as normal as repent for his actions were pretty amazing in itself. Before he knew it, Joey found himself accepting Kaiba's apology.

This was all too weird.

Unable to face Kaiba, Joey turned onto his side and pulled the blanket up to his chin. He wanted to ask why the brunet was here, though the answer would probably disappoint.

_It's not like I'm concerned if he cares or not…_ Joey reasoned to himself, _why is he still here anyway? Is it another one of Mokuba's orders? Probably…_

Then, to Joey's surprise, Kaiba walked over to the other side of the bed, grabbing his laptop which was resting on the bedside locker. He then proceeded to sit down beside Joey, back against the headboard. Joey watched him incredulously as he opened his computer up and waited for it to turn on.

Just when Joey thought it couldn't get any stranger…

Eventually, Kaiba caught a pair of eyes staring at him, "Problem?"

"Yes, actually," Joey said, propping himself up by his elbow, "What are you doing?"

"Sending a few emails." Kaiba's replies were so casual it was beginning to weird Joey out a little.

"No, I mean you're on my bed…" Joey narrowed his eyes. _What is he playing at?_ "Seriously Kaiba," he hissed, sitting up and glaring at the brunet, "Why are you here?"

Either Kaiba was a good actor, or the look of confusion on his face was genuine. It annoyed Joey, nonetheless. He pursed his lips and turned over onto his back. He tried to fall asleep to the click of Kaiba's keyboard, but nothing about the business-like sound relaxed him. In fact, it put him on edge.

"What about my wrist?" Joey asked after several failed minutes of trying to fall asleep. He had turned back around to face Kaiba.

"What about it?"

"Is it broken?"

"Only a sprain," Kaiba replied.

_Only…_ Joey thought bitterly, It's easy _knowing he's never had anything remotely wrong with him in his life. It hurts like a bitch…_

"Does it hurt?" Kaiba asked, as if reading his mind.

Joey flexed it gently, feeling it ache. "Yes, actually, it does." He glanced back at Kaiba, who was staring at it, a hint of melancholy drawn across his face. Then, as soon as he noticed Joey was looking, it was wiped away, replaced with the same emotionless façade they were all well accustomed to.

_Oh my god,_ Joey suddenly realised as Kaiba hastily turned back his laptop, _he's guilty. Seto Kaiba is actually feeling guilty…! _For the fainting, the teasing, or the pushing him too far… Joey wasn't sure which one it was, but he didn't care. The mere realisation was enough to make Joey giddy with amusement…

**xXx**

Joey felt like he had only fallen asleep when it was morning again. He woke to Mokuba standing over him, dressed in his school uniform. Upon seeing Joey wake, he gave him a wide smile.

"Joey, finally! How're you doing?"

Yawning, Joey sat up and replied, "Better…" He gave his wrist a little twirl, but it still pained him. "What time is it?"

"Half seven. I'm just here to say goodbye to Seto, but…" He trailed off, his eyes wandering past Joey to the space behind. Not sure if he really wanted to see, Joey half turned, bracing himself. He first saw Seto's laptop, closed shut at the foot of the bed. Then, he saw the brunet's legs, his eyes following up from there to find Kaiba fast asleep on the pillow beside Joey, still fully dressed in his day clothes.

"Now that is something you don't see every day…" Joey said, trying his best to keep his voice low. He didn't want to wake Kaiba up. This was too rare for him to miss. "Jeeze, does he ever sleep?"

Mokuba gave a soft chuckle and said, "You know, Joey, he was really worried about you."

The blonde couldn't help but snigger, but Mokuba shot him a stern, hard look that was the mirror image of his brother's. "I'm serious, Joey, Seto was seriously freaking out." Mokuba glanced repeatedly at his brother to see if he had woken up. "He didn't sleep at all the night you fainted. I woke up at three am to get a glass of water and when I passed, he was in here."

Joey's cheeks turned pink. "Mokuba, you shouldn't tell me this stuff…"

"Why not?"

"Because," Joey replied, "It's private. You're breaking, like, the… brother code of secrecy, or… something like that."

Mokuba's face fell. "But Joey… I know Seto feels really bad for what he did. He'd never admit it though. You need to know, or else you could…"

"Hate him?" Joey supplied.

"Yes, exactly." Mokuba readjusted the strap on his bag; somewhere down the hall, Roland was calling him. "Joey, I know Seto can tease you, and sometimes I know he takes it too far, but please just think of it from his perspective…"

Joey sighed and glanced over at Kaiba. He didn't look like the CEO of a major corporation. He didn't look like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He looked like a nineteen year old boy, like a normal college-going student, whose biggest worry was waking up in time for class. His mouth was open in a delicate 'o' shape, and he was breathing so gently it didn't seem like he was alive at all. Such vulnerability was never seen by Joey before, especially on Kaiba. Joey reckoned that his dreams were the only place Kaiba could feel truly at peace.

"Don't worry," he eventually replied, knowing Mokuba had left the room, "I think I'll try to understand more…"

**I know, Kaiba may seem OOC, but I don't think even _he'_s capable of not feeling guilty every once in a while. ^^ Thanks to those who have reviewed/faved/watched the previous chapters… Pssst, reviews make me write faster ;)**


	10. Chapter 10: Halloween

**Chapter Ten – Halloween**

Kaiba's 'nice' mood stretched during the next two days. He let Joey take it easy on the 29th, allowing him a lazy day in front of the television to recover. The 30th saw him forcing Joey to do no more than cook meals, and on the 31st – Halloween – he gave Joey the day off.

Needless to say, the blonde was shocked. "A-Are you sure?" He had spluttered. Standing in Kaiba's office, he had expected nothing less than bad news – his wages deducted, possibly a mountain of work to do – but the CEO seemed to be full of surprises this weather.

"Yes, now take it before I change my mind." He hadn't caught Joey's eyes, but he could have sworn he saw a faint tinge in his cheeks. Kaiba was obviously self-conscience after waking up next to Joey the day before, not to mention the blame he still had hovering over his head.

"T-Thank you, Kaiba," he managed to stutter, before giving him a respectable bow and leaving the office. As soon as he became out of earshot from the CEO, he pulled out his phone and dialled Yugi's number.

He answered on the second ring. "Joey! Hey, how're you doing?"

"Great Yugi. I was wondering if ya wanna meet up tonight. Kaiba gave me the day off, can you believe that?"

There was laughter at his friend's excitement at the other end of the line, then Yugi replied, "Well we're all meeting up ay Ryou's tonight…"

"Perfect!" Joey's happiness was evident by the tone of his voice. He hadn't seen his friends since he started working for the Kaiba's almost two months ago. They had texted him often during the first few weeks, but everyone was so busy that contact eventually ceased.

"Oh, and Joey? It's a fancy dress party, so surprise us." By the amusement in Yugi's voice, Joey suspected that there was going to be more than a surprise from him.

They said their goodbyes, and Joey hung up. Now, he had a dilemma on his hands – what to wear. He owned nothing but his own casual clothes, and he wasn't going to take a trip to the town centre to buy a costume. They were always generic ones anyway – Joey wanted something different.

He knew just who to ask.

xXx

"Oh, Kaiba?"

The CEO lifted his head from the book he was reading. He had a glazed look on his eyes that Joey knew all too well. It was the look someone had when they had been so deeply emerged in a place not of this world. Joey recognised it; he was one who used to wear it the entire time, to escape from his horrid father and impetuous mother fighting. He briefly wondered what Kaiba had been thinking of. "Yes?"

"Erm, do you still think you have that maid's outfit from when I first started. I never used it for cleaning and…"

Kaiba raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Why are asking?"

"Ehm, I'm going to a fancy dress party with Yugi, and I wanna dress up..." His cheeks turned red. He hadn't expected Kaiba to ask for forwardly. Then again, what he was asking was pretty strange.

It seemed that Kaiba was suddenly envisioning Joey in the backless apron. He looked almost disturbed as he spoke. "In the laundry room…"

"Thanks," Joey said, face still flushed as he closed the door. He caught one last look of Kaiba, who had tried to re-immerse himself in his book. As the door click, there was an audible sigh from inside.

Joey didn't think anything of it. Without further ado, he went to retrieve his maid's outfit, honestly not sure what to think of himself anymore. Where had his self respect gone? (Out the window and on the first plane to Australia…)

It was still in a paper bag on the highest shelf. As the blonde pulled it out of the bag, he suddenly remembered why he had kicked up a stink the first time he saw it - it really was awful. It looked like a rejected outfit from a yaoi manga. Joey stared at it in dismay – it was a lot more revealing than he remembered. And frilly.

And then an idea so great hit him that he almost kicked himself that he hadn't thought of it before. He would simply sew a piece of fabric onto the back, taking away the revealing side while still making him look completely ridiculous.

**xXx**

Several hours, one tantrum and many broken needles later, Mokuba Kaiba and Joey Wheeler sat in the former's bedroom, admiring their not-so-handiwork. The younger brother had found Joey searching for fabric earlier and offered to help. And while neither of them knew the first thing about sewing, they still managed to make the costume look somewhat decent.

Joey stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles. He still couldn't believe he had come this far – they had stitched a black piece of fabric to the back, it surprisingly blending in well with the front. Now Joey stood wearing not only the outfit, but a weird headband that Mokuba had assured would look good with the outfit.

Of course, the minute Joey stood up, Mokuba burst out laughing. And of course, his laughter and attracted the attention of Seto, who just happened to passing the room at that precise time.

"Mokuba, why are- Oh my god…" Kaiba's face was momentarily shocked as his eyes trailed down Joey's body. There was mixed surprise and horror painted on his face for a split second, then it was gone replaced with pure amusement. "Wow, you _were_ serious."

Joey sniffed and looked away, hands planted on his hips. "Of course I was serious! It's fancy dress."

A small chuckle escaped Kaiba's lips. "I would have thought you'd dress up as a stray mongrel, but no, this is surprisingly more humiliating." Beside him, Mokuba was still giggling.

The blonde went to reply to that comment, but his eyes caught what time it was on the clock behind Seto's head and he cursed. It was almost six thirty – Ryou's party was starting in an hour. He had no other option but to walk to the white-haired teen's house from the Kaiba mansion, which was going to take forever.

"I gotta go…" He said, grabbing his phone, and an umbrella. "See ya later, Mokuba; I won't be back until tomorrow." He walked to the door, passing Kaiba and noting the annoyance on his face. Just before the door closed, Joey shouted back, "I will get you for that remark, moneybags!" Then he was gone, unaware to him that his little retort had Kaiba smirking for quiet a long time…

The air outside was cold, typical for late October in Domino. Joey began his walk to Ryou's, keeping his head down and avoiding eye contact. People would occasionally stop and give him strange looks as he passed, but luckily about two blocks away it started to rain. His face, hidden by the safety of his umbrella, saved him from the awkward eye contact with strangers. As one point, someone had wolf-whistled, causing him to turn pink.

By the time he reached Ryou's humble suburban house, it was approaching 8pm. The lights were on, and Joey could hear noises from inside – Tristan singing, in particular. He rolled his eyes. No doubt the pointy-haired man was already halfway through all the alcohol there.

He rang the doorbell, and waited. It was Yugi who eventually opened the door, a smile plastered on his face. "Joey!" He went to launch himself at Joey in a hug, but suddenly stopped, eyes wandering from Joey's feet to his head. "You're a… maid?"

"I prefer the term 'housekeeper'," the blonde replied, trying to keep a straight face, but failing.

The shorter teen burst out laughing. "Oh my god, Joey, you're crazy." He took Joey's wrist and pulled him inside. The buzz of conversation and smell of alcohol suddenly hit the blonde. "Joey's here!" Yugi called out loud, throwing his arms around the blonde in a hug. "Ah, it's been too long Joey!"

"That it has," Joey said, hugging him back. It was then that he suddenly noticed what the pint-sized teen was wearing – a pharaoh's outfit. He rolled his eyes at the irony; he should've known. "Nice costume, Yuuge," he said, stepping back.

Yugi blushed, but didn't get a chance to reply; one by one, Joey's old friends stared to appear at the door. Tristan first, wearing a suit that would give Joey nightmares for years to come – a large, purple dinosaur costume. He had a bottle in one hand, and upon seeing Joey burst out laughing.

Téa appeared next, her outfit being a petite dark magician girl; Joey saw Yugi shift uncomfortably beside him, and made a mental note to tease him about it later.

The biggest surprise of all was Ryou, dressed in a purple midriff-showing hoodie and leather pants. Beside him, dressed in Ryou's clothes, was Marik Ishtar. The blonde looked at ease, obviously putting behind him all that had happened before. Joey's eyes almost popped to see his hand resting on delicately on Ryou's hip.

"Joey, what the _fuck_ has Kaiba done to you?" It was Tristan. "You look ridiculous!"

Joey gave him an incredulous look. "And that's coming from a purple dinosaur?"

Tristan raised his beer. "True, true."

Yugi guided them back into the living room, where they had been all sitting in a circle chatting before Joey interrupted. Joey took a seat beside Tristan, who immediately handed him drink, eyes shining with mischief. He took it and knocked back a sip.

Apparently Ryou had been in the middle of telling a story, so Joey sat back and listened. It was about some college prank he had pulled, which left a bunch of ignorant students in his year crying with humiliation. Joey listened, starting to feel more at ease in those short minutes than he had ever been. He sipped his beer, and let go of whatever stress he had built up inside disappear.

"So, what about you Joey?" Yugi asked. "How's working for the infamous Seto Kaiba?"

The blonde shrugged. "It's okay, I guess. He's still a prick, in case you're wondering. Mokuba's all right, though."

"Anything interesting happen?" Téa asked.

_Define 'interesting'_, Joey thought bitterly, thinking of the many times Kaiba had snapped at him, or that he had lost his temper. "Nope, sadly."

Ryo frowned. "So… What do you do all day?"

"Um, clean, cook… That's all I have time for, really."

"No TV?" That was Tristan. The horror on his face was genuine.

Joey shook his head. "Nope."

"Books?"

"Ha, as if I'd have time to read!"

They were all staring incredulously at Joey, unable to comprehend that Joey Wheeler, the most energetic and spontaneous of their little group, was stuck in such a boring, monotonous job. Though, they were too nice to say it…

"Jeeze, how boring!"

Apart from Marik. He wasn't.

"It's not that bad!" Joey said defensively.

"Seems it!" The Egyptian snapped back. "Housekeeper for Seto Kaiba? I'm surprised he let you out of the attic for a few hours…"

"Marik!" Ryou gave him a sharp look, a strange thing for one so timid. "Stop it."

"Why is he here anyway?" Joey demanded, pointing at the blonde, while looking around for an explanation. Yugi was staring between the two men, half-scared of a fight breaking out. "He only tried to kill us a few months ago, in case you have all forgotten."

The other blonde put his arm around Ryou. "We're together, actually." As he said it, Ryou wiggled away from his grasp. The blonde's mouth opened. "Ryou?"

"Stop it!" He hissed at the Egyptian. "Stop making trouble!"

Marik lifted his hands defensively. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He crossed his arms as if to show that he wasn't going to do anything, and out of the corner of his eye, Joey saw Yugi relax.

The doorbell suddenly rang, and Tristan leaped up to get it. He returned several minutes later with Duke Devlin behind him, dressed as, well, himself. In those brief seconds when Tristan had left, there was an awkward silence in the room. Téa sipped on a glass of water, avoiding eye contact, while at the other side of the circle, Marik was desperately trying to catch Ryou's eye.

"Hey, Duke's here." Tristan announced, sitting down again beside Joey. The Dungeon Dice Monster's creator sat between them, hastily grabbing the drink before him.

"Sorry I was late," the raven haired man said, blissfully unaware of the tension in the room, "I had to stay behind and help my dad. It's the worst part about college – having to make up the time to your parents…."

Yugi rolled his eyes. "I know what you mean… Ever since I started college, I've had hardly anytime to help grandpa, so when I'm home…"

They launched into a discussion about their weekend jobs at the two game shops, and the atmosphere returned to normal. Ryou stopped ignoring Marik after a while, though he still wouldn't let him put his arm around him.

The time dragged on, but as hard as Joey tried, he couldn't relax. He had so little to say, while everyone else was bursting with funny stories and gossip. Most of it was college-related, so Joey started to feel left out. He knew it wasn't deliberate. Everyone had exciting stories of their lessons – the most he could talk about was which cleaning product worked best in the kitchen, and highly doubted they would care.

Nine pm, and Joey was halfway through his second bottle of beer. Yugi was hopelessly flirting with Téa while Ryou told of how he had almost blown up the science building at college.

Nine thirty pm, and Tristan was refused his fourth drink. He sulked, only to have Duke slip him another one when Yugi wasn't looking.

Ten pm, and conversation was dying, but someone had put on music.

Ten thirty pm, and Joey hadn't spoken in an hour. He had nothing to _say_.

Eleven pm, and he was clapped on the back by Tristan. "C'mon Joey, another drink."

He refused. "Nah, I better not. I gotta work tomorrow."

In his drunken state, Tristan frowned. "Please, Joey! Don't be so _boring_!"

Once again, Joey shook his head in refusal. "Tristan, I have to work tomorrow. I can't be hung-over – Kaiba would kill me!"

"Pfft, it's always about Kaiba, isn't it?" The brunet slurred, walking away from the blonde in favour of more interesting things.

Joey watched him go, pushing down the anger inside him. No one understood him anymore. They were all about college and themselves, whereas Joey… He hated to agree with Tristan but he _was_ boring. Even Ryou was sounding more interesting than him.

The blonde found himself being pushed aside a little. He decided enough was enough. There was no point being there if he couldn't drink or if his friends didn't care enough to act interested in his monotonous lifestyle. They didn't even notice as he shrugged on his jacket and said goodbye. Before they knew it, Joey was outside the house and walking home, not a soul calling him back.

It was cold now. He passed very few people – the odd straggler who was still trick or treating, the occasional late-night drinker – and took a shortcut through the not-so-shabby estates of Domino to Kaiba's mansion. He knew the way well.

The lights were on in the living room as Joey shut the front door behind him. He suspected Kaiba to be working, but when he pushed the door open, the brunet was sitting on the couch, one arm resting on the back while the other was aimlessly flicking buttons on the remote. He was alone; Mokuba didn't seem to be around.

"Back so soon?" Kaiba commented, not bothering to turn around and greet the blonde. "As expected, a dog will always return home to its master."

If Kaiba was expecting a typical Joey-like rebuttal to that comment, he didn't get it. "Yah, yeah, good one."

Joey's walk home had left him in a mood, which even Kaiba's remarks couldn't rouse him from. The brunet noticed this and turned around. "Wheeler?" Dropped his arm from the back of the couch and patted the spot to the far left of him. "Sit down and stop moping."

Joey chose the place closest to Kaiba to annoy him. If the brunet was uncomfortable with this arrangement, he didn't show it. "Did the nerd herd kick you out?" The mockery was there in his voice, but Joey chose to ignore it.

"No, I left early." He gave a small tug to the end of the maid's outfit; the frills were beginning to annoy him. His hoodie was baggy, but it only came down to his hips, leaving the rest of his body cold, especially as the outfit reached his mid-thighs.

"You look fucking ridiculous." Kaiba commented as he followed Joey's gaze.

"I wasn't the one who had this hiding in my utility room…" Joey pointed out, shooting a smirk at Kaiba.

For once, the brunet looked like he had nothing to say. He opened his mouth, but shut it when no appropriate words would come out.

"Aw, cat got your tongue?"

At that remark, Kaiba _did_ have something to say, "Would 'dog' be more suitable?" It was his turn to smirk, and he did, his cold blue eyes catching Joey's brown. He poured every once of his smugness into his glares, the blonde noted. It was quiet impressive, truth be told.

Several glare-filled seconds later, Kaiba asked, "Why did you leave early?" to which Joey shrugged. "Was it the costume? Because I think it was. Even Moto would be put off by it, and we all know what he's like."

"No, I just… I felt… out of place," Joey admitted, biting down hard on his lip.

Kaiba sighed and leaned back into the chair. "If you're looking to load your pitiful worries on me, Wheeler, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong guy."

A shock of anger went through Joey's eyes, but before he could reply, Kaiba added, "But, I will say that if were you – and thank Duel Monsters I'm not – I would seriously reconsider who my real friends are."

The blonde opened his mouth and stared. Seto Kaiba just gave him advice – crap advice – but none-the-less advice. He had no idea how to respond to it, but he tried. "You're probably right, moneybags…" A slight pause, before he added, "It's weird, hearing you say nice things."

"For that," Kaiba said, locking his jaw in a hard expression, "You're getting docked pay."

"What?" The blonde burst out angrily. "That's not fair! What the hell, Kaiba, you jerk!"

He held up his hands defensively. "I was kidding, Wheeler!" He gave a chuckle. "I knew you'd react like that. You're just a predictable, reliable mutt."

Annoyed, Joey crossed his arm. "Hmph." He said, staring directly ahead at the television. "Where's Mokuba?"

"At a friends' house." Kaiba replied. He glanced at his watch. "Well, might as well make the most of your last three minutes of your day off…"

Joey narrowed his eyes. "Um, why?"

"Because," Kaiba said, flicking back the sound onto the television. Some scary Halloween movie was on, Joey noted. "The job I have for you tomorrow will either make or break you. Probably your back, in case you're wondering."

Joey gave his second 'hmmph' that night and pushed Kaiba's mild attempts at foreshadowing aside. He focused his gaze on the television. "I've heard of this one!" He said, recognising the movie. "We watched it at Tristan's once. Well, he did. I was too, um, tired." His cheeks turned red at the memory. They had been eleven. Tristan's parents had gone out, leaving Joey and Tristan alone. They had watched the movie after hearing about how scary it was. Joey remembered how they had both been terrified for weeks.

"Is the mutt scared?" Kaiba teased, turning the volume up. Joey cursed his surround sound speakers. He could hear every single sound… The blood falling, the screams….

Of course, even if Joey was a tiny – a _microscopic _– bit scared, he wasn't going to admit it. His childhood fear may have ebbed, but it was still there. "Of course not!" He stood up. "I'm going to bed. Night, Kaiba."

Suddenly, Kaiba grabbed his arm and yanked him back onto the couch. "You're staying," the CEO grinned.

"What! No! C'mon Kaiba, ya jerk, lemma-" He pulled his hand away, only to fall back several feet away, flat on his ass.

Kaiba chuckled before pointing at the seat. "Sit."

"I'm not a-"

"Take a seat."

"…" The blonde sat down, arms crossed defiantly. He didn't want to watch this. He didn't want Kaiba to see him freak out.

_Okay, keep calm. _Joey said to himself, _It's just a movie. That isn't real blood… Okay, that wasn't- Oh god!_

Beside him, Joey heard Kaiba laugh. No doubt at him. He turned his head, but the brunet wasn't looking at him. His gaze was fixed on the television. He was _laughing _at the film.

Suddenly, he turned and frowned at Joey. "What?"

"You're seriously _enjoying _this?"

The CEO frowned. "No, I merely find the shameful quality of the production funny. It's such an amateur-ish film. Only an idiot would be sca- Oh. Of course." He gave the blonde a signature smirk. "You're terrified."

Joey's cheeks turned pink, so he turned his head sharply away. "Am not!"

Reaching out a hand, Kaiba placed it on Joey's shoulder suddenly. The blonde jumped. This amused Seto somewhat. "Ha! I knew it!"

"I'm not scared. I've just had, er, bad experiences regarding this film before…" This time, he stood up and quickly moved out of Kaiba's grasp. "I'm going to bed, for real this time." Unlike the last attempt to escape, Joey didn't bid Kaiba goodnight. He slipped out the door wordlessly, leaving Kaiba alone.

The room suddenly felt colder. Kaiba flicked off the television and lay back onto the couch, the palms of his hands pressed to his eye sockets. He couldn't describe exactly what was going on in that complex head of his, but he felt mildly surprised at himself. He thought he had been relatively civil to the blonde.

His epiphany had been that cause of all this. Two days ago, when Joey was unconscious in his bed and Seto had banished the doctor-on-call from the room, he had felt panic rise in his chest. Not the normal type of panic he felt from time to time when an employee was injured at work. No, that sort of panic was not legal-related panic. At that time, as he watched Joey, he was fearful for his housekeeper rather than himself.

The selflessness on his part had been hovering around Seto for several days now. When he tried to forget about it, it would return, hitting him in waves. When he closed his eyes, the same feeling that accompanied the panic from earlier returned.

Was it affection? No, hardly. He never felt affection for anything other than Mokuba.

He hadn't told his brother of the weird feeling. He would worry. Possibly call it a medical condition and force Seto to have a check up. Yes, it did come from inside him, but it was a lot more than something a doctor could diagnose. It started in Seto's stomach, fluttering and beating, rising in waves from there to his chest, where it would swirl around and around until it disappeared, suddenly.

Kaiba rolled onto his side. It was currently there. He pressed his fist to his chest, frowning in annoyance. If that stupid blonde hadn't decided to stop in after coming home, he never would be in this situation.

As usual, all things came back to the blonde. It was all his fault, damn housekeeper.

**Clueless Kaiba is clueless. ¬_¬ Short chapter, I know, but I'll compensate the length of it in the next instalment. ;) Ugh, I hate the ending. I'll probably revise it at some point -_-" I had originally planned for there to be a hellah load of fluff & stuff in this chapter, but I JUST COULDN'T DO IT It's too soon for that (well, almost). I promise you, that wait shall be worth it! :3**

**No, Tristan isn't an alcoholic. He just seems to like his beer. XD But he is a purple dinosaurs (abridged watchers, did you see what I did there ;D)**

**And finally, I know, I know, Joey in a maid outfit may seem somewhat ridiculous, but if you've seen Yu-Gi-Oh season Zero (episode 19, if you're interested) then you'll know that Joey is no stranger to dressing like a woman. :P**

**Thanks to all the reviews, follows & favs!**


	11. Chapter 11: The Garage

**Chapter Eleven – The Garage**

"Wheeler, are you ready?" It was early morning. Joey had just appeared from the kitchen, having finished his morning cleaning routine. Mokuba was still asleep, but Kaiba had been up since five am. Joey wasn't sure how he did it. The brunet had slept for about four hours last night, and seemed to be in a very un-Kaiba-like moderately good mood.

"Ready as I'll ever be," the blonde replied. Apparently, Kaiba was serious about the 'impossible' task for Joey. He wasn't exactly nervous or 'scared' (as Kaiba told him he should be). He had done harder tasks for the brunet before.

"Follow me then," Kaiba ordered, standing up from his chair and leaving out the dining room door. Joey obeyed, walking three steps behind his employer. He was lead through the vast, marble hall, out the double front doors and around to the side of the mansion. They stopped outside Kaiba's garage (which, in fact, was the size of the average bungalow). The CEO said no word as he opened the white metal door, by typing in a code so quickly on a keypad that Joey hardly saw his fingers move. The door opened, and the blonde had quiet a good idea than of what his job was.

"Ta-dah!" Kaiba's voice was so flat and cynical Joey had to suppress an urge to laugh.

_So Kaiba _has _a sense of humour…_ He silently remarked, stepping inside to see the extent of the mess.

The interior of the garage was completely packing full of items. Kaiba's lavish car was in the centre of the entire garage, looking somewhat dustier than Joey remembered. There was boxes and old household items strewn everywhere, and half the shelves were fallen down. Joey eyed it from top to bottom, eventually resting his gaze on the brunet.

"Well? Can you clean it? Can you do it?"

Joey drew himself up proudly. "I can do anything!" He declared.

"Regrettable choice of words," Kaiba mumbled, his voice just loud enough for Joey to hear and blush deeply. "But, we'll see how well you fare. Clean the garage, wash the cars, and try not to have a mental breakdown in the process." His mouth was curved in a definitive smirk. "You're other duties are stripped of you until you complete this mess." He shoved his hands into his pockets and started out of the room. "Oh," he said suddenly, looking over his shoulders, "Be careful. Wouldn't want what happen to our last housekeeper to happen to my gullible mutt, would we?"

Joey wanted to react to that, but he saw the flash of teasing in Kaiba's eyes and knew the CEO was joking. Of course, he wasn't going to say that to him. "W-What housekeeper?" He managed to stutter. "Kaiba, what are you talking about?"

However, the CEO was gone, disappearing around the corner. Joey scoffed and turned back to the mess.

"Stupid Kaiba, does he really think I'm that gullible?" He pushed his fringe back from his forehead and began working.

Half an hour passed of Joey simply shifting boxes from inside to outside, but his efforts paid off when he found what looked like an old – but huge – stereo system hiding in the corner. Beside it, were an old pile of what he assumed were Kaiba's CDs. Smirking, he picked one up, and popped it in.

"Holy crap!" The music played so loud it shook the windows. The unmistakable sound of Nirvana blasted through the garage. Joey scrambled to turn the sound down. "Wow," he said, after successfully locating the button and reducing the volume, "I never penned Kaiba down as a rock fan…" With that, he grabbed several more disks, and popped them into the machine. Hitting shuffle, he turned away from the stereo, ready to work.

**xXx**

Meanwhile, Kaiba was sitting in his office, leaning back in his large chair, and doing anything _but_ work. Eyes closed, he was listening to the soft ticking of the grandfather clock and the hum of his computer. Working today was useless. He couldn't concentrate. And unknown to a certain blonde working outside, it was his fault.

Having fallen asleep the night before to the rain softly falling on the windowpane, Kaiba thought his dream would be the same calm and boring places they would ever be. He could faintly smell the distinctive aftershave the honey-eyed man used on his sheets, a smell that hadn't left the room since the sheets had been change several days ago. Kaiba wasn't even sure if it was still there, or if he was just imagining it, but he didn't know once he caught a whiff of it, he was finished.

He drifted off to sleep, and coinciding with the scent of the blonde in the room, dreamt of him.

No, he didn't simply _dream _of him in the normal fashion. He dreamt of things that made Kaiba's face turn redder than a ripe apple.

He dreamt of 'bad things'.

Well, that depends on your point of view.

But he still dreamt of the blonde in, slight, _compromising_ positions and it shamed him, shamed him to think that his own subconscious could create such wild and vivid thoughts.

Back to present-day Kaiba, he was certainly finding it difficult to concentrate. He felt unclean, even though he had showered for well over an hour. The thing that made his flush red with embarrassment the most was that he, Seto Kaiba, KaibaCorp CEO, _enjoyed _his dreams.

"Dammit!" He hissed, slamming his fist down on the desk. "Get out of my fucking head you incessant, annoying piece of-" He was cut of by a blast of music, which disappeared suddenly. Frowning, Kaiba stood up and walked over to his window. If he craned his head enough to the right, he could look down see the garage entrance. There, he was greeted with Joey bending over, ass sticking in the air as he fiddled with Kaiba's old stereo, an out-dated system he had thrown out after he noticed the wires fraying and deemed it unsafe for his home.

Kaiba groaned, and it wasn't because the electrical-hazardous stereo was being used again.

Thankfully, Joey had found a song he liked and straightened up, ass turned away from Kaiba's direction. The CEO sighed gratefully. Since his little… _Incident _last night, he had been experiencing strange… _Urges_. Urges of the kind that were brought about in the worst of times. The only plus side – kind of – to them was that now Kaiba was able to recognise what the urges were. After his epiphany-like dream the night before, his internal senses were sharper. The strange, aching pangs in his chest were no longer a mystery. Though on the other hand, he was beginning to think his own body was betraying him. At least, before his mind managed to process what the hell his hormones were doing.

Like, for example, why out of all seven billion people on this planet, he had to feel this way about Joey freaking Wheeler.

And why it only happened to him _now_.

Squinting slightly, his vision focused on the housekeeper, bucket of water in his hand, obviously aiming to start washing one of his two cars. As his sight focused, Kaiba noticed his mouth was moving.

"He's talking to himself?" The brunet asked out loud, immediately chuckling at his contradicting comment.

Kaiba slowly opened his window a tiny bit, hearing the sound of music playing for the first time. He smiled, the unmistakable sounds of his old music favourites playing back. Then, he heard Joey's voice, not talking to himself but singing.

The CEO had to admit it – the mutt wasn't half-bad.

But, this scenario was too good for him to sit in his stuffy office and simply watch. He wasn't getting any work done anyway, and it was such a nice, rain-free day outside…

He left his office, passing Mokuba who was duelling one of his friends online. Leaving through the back door this time, Kaiba kept his footsteps light as he trod carefully to where his garage door was, making sure to not make a sound. The music was becoming gradually louder as he approached.

The sound of Joey singing hit him, and Kaiba resisted the strong urge to laugh aloud. The distance between his office and the garage had disguised Joey's voice; the missed notes and the failed attempts at falsetto. He was certainly no singer.

Kaiba leaned against the garage, beside the door, watching Joey. His back to the CEO, he dipped his hand in the bucket of water, grabbed a sponge, and began cleaning. The stereo was playing an alternative rock music collection Kaiba had always been quiet fond of, and he was now subjected to less-likeable version of the Lostprophets' hit, 4am Forever.

"Why don't cha hear me when I'm calling out to youuuuuu," Joey half sung, half shouted to the vehicle as he began washing the dirt off Kaiba's favourite car. "Why don't ya listen when I'm tryna make it through to youuuu. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, you'll never knoooow-"

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Joey finally spotted Kaiba watching him. He immediately stopped singing and closed his mouth shut. His face flushed red in embarrassment, and Kaiba once again suppressed a strange urge in his chest. Once again, he was improving at recognising what the urges were. This once wanted to drawl 'aww' like some mindless fan girl at the blonde's expression, something so horrendously out of form for Kaiba that he'd rather jump off a bridge than follow through his desire…

_Go away, go away…._ Kaiba could see the blonde silently praying, but alas the brunet wasn't going to let this beauty of a scene drop that easily.

"God, I thought I heard a cat drowning. Seems I was wrong."

Joey dipped the sponge in the water once again and ran it along the front of the car, leaving a sopping trail of soap and water behind. He knew Kaiba's game all too well at this stage. He wanted a fight. "Drowning cat? Aw c'mon, moneybags. I was more like a drowning dog."

_Trying to appease me, are you mutt? Two can play at that game. _The CEO walked closer, eyes narrowing as he watched Joey work. "Ah yes, I suppose you were. And, I may add, that was the worst rendition of Lostprophets song I have ever heard."

Joey merely 'hmmmphed' and scrubbed harder. "Hmm, as if you're that great a singer."

_Sassy… _ "But, I am."

"Pfft, as if you-"

"Actually, Gozaburo had me singing scales every morning and evening. If I missed a note, or sung out of tune, I would have to restart the entire exercise." He remained stony-faced as he finished his tale, making it seem believable. Of course Joey would believe him. Kaiba's memories of his step-father were horrid and he would never say something about the evil old man without a face of such seriousness.

"Liar." Joey said, not turning from his work. "Now stop playing tricks and leave me work."

Not obtaining the reaction he wanted, Kaiba tried again.

"You know," he said, "I'm not lying. Listen." He hummed softly the note of C, then the scale which followed, both ascending and descending. In all truthfulness, Kaiba didn't sing, and Gozaburo certainly didn't make him practice scales. But, the CEO was forced to learn piano, and from that era could recall, note-perfect, the gruelling scales he was forced to learn every day.

The blonde, however, scoffed. "I've heard better."

"Oh really?" Kaiba raised his eyebrow. "Well, if you're so almighty about the subject, you try."

Joey swallowed, slowing his washing pace to a gradual stop. He cleared his throat, and hummed, as Kaiba just did, a passage of notes. It was just as good as Kaiba's, but the CEO wasn't going to say that.

Instead, he burst out in ridiculously-forced laughing. "Oh- Oh dear god, I'm glad I've my legal affairs in order, because that almost killed me." He balled his fist and pressed to his sealed lips, but it did nothing to stop the bubbling, uncontrollable laughter in his throat.

Joe suddenly burst out with an angry, "See if you can do better, moneybags!" remark, and when that only made Kaiba more amused, Joey made the best decision of his life, and threw the sopping wet sponge in his hand at Kaiba. It hit him in the face, drenching his fringe.

Everything seemed to move super slowly. The brunet reached up and tore the sponge away from his face. Damn the water was _cold_. "Mutt, I-"

Joey aimed another sponge. "Nyeh, don't you dare!" He shouted, backing away. His shot missed, but only because Kaiba caught it in his hands. "C'mon Kaiba! It's ten degrees, I'm freezing my ass off cleaning your stupid car and the most you can do is insult me. Let's be reasonable, mature adults-"

Kaiba cut him off by throwing the sponge in his hand and hitting him straight in the face. "Mutt, I should fire you for being so cheeky."

Joey paled. "O-Oh no, please Kaiba, I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry, I-"

"But you're lucky you've grown on me, so instead..." He let his sentence hang, stepping closer to the blonde. Reaching a stop two inches from the blonde's face, he grabbed the sponge from his hand and dunked it in the water. Standing up, the sponge dripped water excessively. Kaiba smirked, bringing his hand back.

"Aw, c'mon, don't be-"

The sponge slammed straight into his face. Joey, spitting out a mouthful of soap, picked up the sponge and threw it once again at his boss. Kaiba dodged, grabbing the other one on the ground. He gave a playful smirk and doused it in water, before aiming for the blonde's face. It missed, hitting his chest but soaking through his shirt.

Joey laughed as he managed to hit Kaiba in the back of his head with his own sponge. "Too slow, moneybags, too slow!" He jeered, throwing the second sponge and hitting him again. It had suddenly turned in to a mere game. Joey was silently glad to see Kaiba have some genuine fun for once.

"Oh, we'll see," Kaiba said, stooping down and grabbing the entire bucket of water. He saw Joey's face pale and felt a maniacal thrill rise inside him. It was the same thrill he got when he drew all three of his blue eyes on his first turn in a duel; exhilarating.

He ran for Joey, who laughed and ran around the car. He felt like a child again, carefree and giddy. Kaiba followed him, and he ran again. The CEO suddenly changed direction, and Joey did too. Only, he managed to slip on some of the soapy water, crashing to the ground. In an instant, a shock of cold water hit him.

"Ahh Kaiba, you bastard!" He shrieked, shivering dramatically from the sudden temperature change. "C'mere and I swear, boss or no boss, I'll kill you."

Kaiba's gleeful chuckles were short-lived as the blonde stood up and lunged for him, trying to bring him to the ground. Trying to dodge, the CEO found Joey grasping his two upper arms and trying to floor him. He was pushing with all his might but to no avail. Seeing his weak point, Kaiba pulled sharply back, falling to ground and bringing the blonde with him. In surprise, Joey screamed and let go of Kaiba. Then, in an instant, Kaiba rolled over, shifting their positions. Straddling Joey's thighs, he pinned his hands above his head and declared his victory.

"Kaiba, get off me!" Joey wiggled underneath, desperately trying to escape Kaiba's iron grasp. Hard as he tried, he could barely move his arms.

The brunet smirked. "Bad dogs should be put in…" His voice faltered. A strange, overwhelming sensation hit him; yet another irrepressible feeling. Kaiba wasn't stupid; he knew what it meant. "P-put in their place, mutt."

Joey saw the brunet falter, and frowned. Though, he wasn't a fool. It was to do with him… "Please moneybags?"

_Don't look at me like that…_ His eyes were large, and pleading, and even more caramel in colour than usual. Kaiba swallowed, his mouth dry. Joey's face was a mere few inches from his. Would it hurt to kiss him?

_Of course it would!_

But if he asked…

_No, never, not in a thousand, million years would he ever sanction something of the sort. Never, not ever…_

The urge from the night before hit him, and Kaiba decided enough was enough. If his mind insisted on being so infatuated with Joey, he wouldn't – couldn't – deny it any more.

"C-Can I kiss you?"

Joey thought he misheard, if not for watching Kaiba's lips move, forming those four words perfectly. "What?"

Instantly, Kaiba let go of his arms. "Never mind," he hissed, looking away with a hint of embarrassment.

Joey's eyes softened. "No, I didn't mean it like that, I meant: Why do you want to kiss me?"

"I… I don't know." He lied.

"Oh." Joey sat up, after Kaiba failing to re-pin him back down. Their hips were still touching, but none of them seemed to notice. The brunet was watching Joey intently. He noted that Kaiba could still look tall and proud even when he was half-sitting on the ground, half drenched. Joey felt a breeze whip past him and he shivered again.

"So, can I?" His eyes were hopeful, but his voice was flat.

"Kaiba, I don't know if this is a good idea…" Joey replied, having no idea where this side of Kaiba was coming from. It was weird. "You're, well, _you_."

"No shit Sher-"

Joey waved his hand impatiently. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. Dumb blonde is dumb." He dropped his hand down and sighed. Suddenly, Kaiba's hand was pressed down on his.

"Please?"

Looking up, he was met with Kaiba's blue eyes. "Why?"

Kaiba didn't want to tell him. It would sound stupid. To admit something so mortifying to his- _the _mutt would only worsen the situation.

But, if he wanted to sort out the feelings in his head, he'd have to take the plunge.

"I've been… _Thinking _a lot, since the last dinner party. And… I… Back then I felt…"

"Worried?" Joey raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, that. And-Wait, how do you know that? That was hardly a lucky, wild guess…"

"Mokuba." Joey said shortly, without thinking.

Kaiba frowned. "Hmm. Well, yes, it's true, and I have to admit, you've grown on me, Wheeler."

"I've grown on you?"

"Yep." Suddenly, he smirked. "Like wild mushrooms and a damp forest, you've grown on me."

Joey laughed. "Beautiful imagery, Kaiba. Do you chat up every girl like that?"

Tired of talking, wanting action, Kaiba reached out and gently cupped Joey's face. His fingers wove their way through his mutt's damp blonde hair, the palms of his hands gently supporting his cheeks. "I'm confused," Kaiba said, "But I think this may solve that. So, please?"

Joey swallowed and closed his eyes. "Fine… But, do it quickly."

The truth was, Kaiba had never kissed before, so he didn't know what qualified as 'quickly', but he had seen enough of those sappy romance movies to know what to do. Tilting his head to the side, he leaned in and pressed, ever so gently, his lips to Joey's.

It was soft, he noted, as he closed his eyes and kissed him. But never mind how his lips felt, inside Kaiba's mind was a whirl of emotion. He felt elated; this was the most bizarre and yet natural thing that had ever happen. He wanted more; to kiss Joey for longer, to draw him closer and closer.

When he felt Joey's arms reach up and rest on his collar bones, his heart sunk. _He's going to push me away, he doesn't want this…_ He thought. Kaiba was about to break away, when instead of forcing the brunet off him, Joey slid his hands over his shoulders and pulled him closer.

Their lips broke away, for a split second. Then Joey attacked him again, this time taking the lead. Kaiba followed. Merely a newbie on the field, he let Joey kiss him several times, a mixture of both long and short ones, before breaking away.

Kaiba didn't notice how warm his skin felt, despite being soaked in water. He also noted he was breathing slightly harder than usual. As too was Joey, who stared incredulously at the brunet.

"You- I- We-"

"Kissed."

Joey pressed a hand to his pounding chest. "Did I answer your question?"

Pondering, Kaiba stood up, arms crossed. "I think you did." He looked back to the garage, the music still blaring. Life had moved on while they were frozen in their kiss. The car was dripping suds; the water on the ground was soaking away.

Kaiba knew he shouldn't have done or said any of that, but the old him seemed to be slowly disintegrating before his very eyes. Firstly, he feels a rush of worry for the blonde, next, he's scared for him, and then concerned. Mix it with his now not-so-confusing dream and a rush of hormones, and you have a new Kaiba. A very bold one, at that.

"I did?" Joey sounded shocked, breathless, but most of all, confident.

He looked down at his housekeeper. "Yeah," he said, extending his hand to help the blonde up, "You did Joey."

Cautiously, the blonde took it, and was pulled not-too-gently up. "Um, you called me 'Joey'. Are you okay, moneybags?" He frowned and tried to reach Kaiba's forehead. "You're not sick, are ya?"

The brunet craned out of his reach, but was smirking. "No, I'm perfectly fine." He straightened his shirt, and said, "Now… Get back to work, and when you finish, we'll have a talk about this. I need some time to think." With that, he walked away, leaving Joey, still sopping wet, utterly confused.

Eventually, snapping out of his daze, Joey began to work harder than he had ever done in his life. All the time he was suppressing the desire to abandon his work and run back to Kaiba, to demand what the hell had just happen.

**THE KIIIIISS :* Yes, horrendously OOC Kaiba, but what can ya do? ;) Sorry for the long wait guys. I was on vacation :D I shall be on an updating spree to compensate. Please don't think I've gone mad, everything will be justified (especially on Kaiba's part) soon, need you fear! **

**PS, Kaiba is a Lostprophets fan. Betcha didn't know that ;D**

**~ Chapt3rFour **


	12. Chapter 12: Mokuba

**Chapter Twelve: Mokuba  
**

Joey never got a chance to privately talk with Kaiba that evening. He had hurriedly cleaned the garage – a task which took seven hours in itself – before changing his clothes and rushing off to prepare dinner. When he'd finally reached Kaiba's door, adamant on an explanation for the earlier events, he found the brunet gone. Dismayed, Joey trudged up to his room. There, he ran a bath and submerged himself in the soapy, hot water. He needed to think.

Why had Kaiba kissed him? After pondering hard on the mater during his hours cleaning, Joey had come to two very plausible explanations; one, Kaiba was genuinely curious about the blonde; or two, he was just taking the piss out of him.

He sincerely hoped it was the first option. While at a glance it didn't seem very likely for Kaiba to have an interest in him, when he dug deeper, there were tell-tale signs. The birthday cake incident, the dinner party, his reaction to Joey's Halloween costume…

_But, why so sudden? _Joey bit down on his lip as the thought crept into his mind. It was the most un-Kaiba-like thing to just _ask_ for a kiss. The Kaiba he once knew would have probably tried to strangle him six months ago at the prospect of a water fight with the blonde turning into them kissing on the ground. It just didn't fit that the cold-hearted CEO would want to kiss Joey, of all people. For starters, he was a _guy_, and not just any guy: the persistent, (supposedly) annoying blonde from high school, who just so happened to be his housekeeper.

"Arrrggh, it doesn't make any sense!" Joey whined, sitting up and grabbing the nearest towel to him. He proceeded to dress, trying his best to ignore the thoughts that were racing through his mind regarding Kaiba.

As he headed downstairs to continue his search of the Kaiba brothers, he decided that he would let the brunet make the next move. He wasn't going to chase him down, hounding him for explanations. Knowing how temperamental Kaiba could be, he would simply wait and see. If the brunet really was curious, he'd keep coming back for more. If he was trying to make a fool out of Joey, then he would be sorely disappointed…

As the blonde reached the entrance hall, the door swung open and Kaiba entered, flanked by Roland. The brunet ignored him, but his right-hand man, a briefcase in one hand and a stack of documents in the other, nodded briefly at Joey as he passed him. Seeing the serious look on Kaiba's face, Joey guessed this wasn't the right time to bring up earlier. Something obviously happened, and the blonde didn't want to get on Kaiba's bad side.

"Do you want some coffee?" He asked tenderly, keeping his voice balanced and pleasant.

Kaiba, who had shrugged off his jacket and was in the process of removing his tie, simply nodded.

Joey was eager to ask what had happened, but instead hurried to the kitchen to prepare the coffee, the most precious beverage in Kaiba's diet. He brewed it as strong as he could, gathered the nicest biscuits he could find in the kitchen, and went to find the brunet.

His first guess – the office – wasn't wrong. Inside, Kaiba was pouring over one of the sheets of paper. The print was so small that he was almost squinting trying to read it. Roland was no where to be seen. Placing the small tray down before Kaiba, Joey unloaded everything before the brunet. He was ignored as he did this.

Kaiba finished reading the sheet of paper and tossed it aside, instantly grabbing another. Joey felt compelled to ask him about when he was doing. "Kaiba, em, what are you doing?"

The brunet lifted his head, glaring for a split second. Then his expression shifted. "I'm researching," he said, before bringing his gaze back down to the paper.

"Oh." Joey eyed the stacks of paper. "All of them?"

"Yes," Kaiba said, his voice deadpan.

Shifting his stance awkwardly, Joey craned his head to see what they were. "Are these… Legal documents?"

"Look," Kaiba snapped, "If you're so hell-bent on discovering what I'm doing, make yourself useful and start reading." He gestured at the pile of sheets before him.

Sitting down on the chair opposite him, Joey grabbed a small pile. He started reading, before frowning and asking, "Wait, what am I looking for?"

A grim smile plastered Kaiba's face for a second before fading. "Anything to do with legal guardianship, adoption or fostering…" He didn't elaborate any further, just reached for his coffee, swallowed a mouthful and began reading.

Joey knew better than anyone this was about Mokuba. He could feel an air of desperation about Kaiba as they began reading in silence, and knew better than to ask any more questions. The passages were boring, the jargon was confusing and the tension in the room was crippling. By midnight, Joey hadn't found anything relevant. He was beginning to lose concentration, but saw that Kaiba was even more focused than ever.

An hour or two passed, and still nothing of value was discovered. Joey almost fell asleep twice. On the second time, Kaiba ordered him to go to bed.

"You're useless if you sleep here," he spat, tossing aside another stack of paper, "Go away."

Joey gently placed his sheets on the table. "What about you?"

"What about me?" He grunted, reaching over to look up something on his computer. Joey knew he was trying hard not to show it, but the exhaustion was finally showing on the brunet's face. Etched under his eyes, the dark circles showed stress and panic that Joey knew should never be on someone so young.

"You should sleep." The blonde said, stacking the empty cups onto the kitchen tray. "I'm sure you'd help Mokuba more if you weren't so exhausted."

Kaiba shot him a dark look. "Mutt, I'm not in the mood to argue with you, but I suggest you get out before I _do_ get in the mood."

Sighing, Joey put the tray down and crossed his arms. "Can I ask a question?"

Silence greeted him. Joey took it as his cue and continued to asked, "Is this about Mokuba?" He gestured at the various sheets and books around the office.

With a hefty sigh, Kaiba leaned back into his office chair. "Yes," he said eventually, "It is about Mokuba. Though, I fear, it's too late."

Frowning, Joey asked, "What do you mean..?"

This question seemed to make Kaiba mad for some reason. He slammed his fist down onto the table, saying, "Too late is too late, Wheeler. I don't think I'll get guardianship of Mokuba. No, in fact, I _won't _get guardianship."

Surprised to see Kaiba explode with such a forceful, emotional statement, Joey gently placed a hand on his thin shoulder. "I-I'm sure you will Kaiba, you just-"

"Wheeler, get your hand _off me_!"

Joey suddenly snapped back his hand. That statement had hurt him, and it wasn't just Kaiba's informal, harsh words; his tone of voice was irritated. Joey could tell by the mere way he glared at him that the brunet was taking his unreleased anger out on him. "What the hell Kaiba? This morning you were begging me for kisses and acting the strangest I had ever seen you, and now you're treating me like a servant." He brought his hands down onto the table and became eye-level with Kaiba. "Answer me this, Kaiba: what was that all about?"

If he was uneasy, Kaiba didn't show it. He met Joey's gaze with every bit of anger that the blond was shooting him. "I don't have time for this, Wheeler, you're dismissed."

"I'm not leaving until you answer my question!"

"Dammit I don't know!" Kaiba shouted, standing up forcefully. His eyes were dead-serious as he stared down Joey. "It doesn't _matter_ what happened this morning."

"Doesn't… Matter- what?! Kaiba, you _kissed_ me. This is a very big deal!"

"Look," Kaiba said, asserting his authority, "What happened between isn't exactly number one on my list, at the moment," he glanced at the papers before him, "Mokuba is." He sat firmly back on in his chair, and Joey knew he could say no more. Sighing, he gathered the tray full of empty coffee mugs and went to leave the room.

"I haven't forgotten about you," Kaiba added in a low voice, as the door shut behind Joey. "When all this blows over, if it does, we'll talk." But he knew Joey had long-gone, not hearing a word of what he said. Sighing, he re-immersed himself back into his work.

**xXx**

Joey closed the front door behind him with a defiant slam. The storm currently brewing outside was an accurate representation of his mood – angry, dull and gloomy. He was mad because he had pissed Kaiba off so much the night before, and was depressed because he couldn't do anything to help Mokuba.

From the venomous look on Kaiba's face this morning, Joey assumed he had achieved nothing in his sleepless night. As the blonde had begun working that morning, he had walked past Kaiba's office, and could hear Mokuba scolding his brother. Joey didn't like eavesdropping, but that didn't mean he didn't do it. He had stood outside listening, hearing snippets of conversation…

"There is nothing I _can_ do, Mokuba, but I won't let them-"

"Seto, don't do anything rash!"

"When it comes to this, there is nothing too rash."

Sadly for Joey, the footsteps approached the door he was standing at, so he took to his heels and raced downstairs before he was discovered.

It was no secret to Joey about Mokuba's adoption scenario. The blonde never worried about it, because he knew that no matter what happened, Kaiba would fight with all he had to keep Mokuba. He could envision the brunet calling in half the army just to keep legal guardianship of his brother. No doubt he had hired lawyers to work overtime just to find a loophole in their situation.

Joey entered the kitchen, dumping the shopping. He found it the worst part of his job. He never knew what to buy from temperamental, angst-driven Kaiba. Not able to face into the daunting task that was cleaning the Kaiba's kitchen, Joey opted to start with the bedrooms. He hadn't made anyone's beds this morning, and it was high time the sheets were changed…

He worked on Mokuba's first, finding it odd that the young teen wasn't there. Neither, he noticed, was Kaiba as he entered the main office and tided up a bit. There were sheet littered everywhere, but Joey didn't touch them. Though, he had a feeling Kaiba had given up on his research.

It didn't take him long to find Kaiba however. Joey had opened the door to Kaiba's room in a hurry, humming to himself as he walked in. It was then that he then saw the CEO, lying on his unmade bed. The blonde would've thought him sleeping if not for the blank expression on his face as he stared at the ceiling. The sight itself was enough to make Joey's blood to run cold in his veins.

"No…" He said, not moving from his rooted spot.

Kaiba heard the voice and sat up. He looked shattered; his skin was the same pallor as his bed sheets, eyes devoid of emotion. He tried to speak to Joey, but couldn't find the right words. Eventually, he managed to say, "It's over. Mokuba's been taken away."

Joey bit down hard on his lip. No, it wasn't – it _couldn't _be – true. And even if it was, why was Kaiba just lying here. Where was the fiery brunet he knew? He had always imagined that if this day did come, that if Mokuba was ever taken away by the social workers, that Kaiba would be fighting with all his might to get him back, ordering every lawyer in the country to get his brother back. Not… _This_.

"When did he go?" Joey swallowed back his surprise and tried to keep his voice normal. When Kaiba, didn't answer, Joey walked closer to inspect him. "Kaiba?"

The brunet shot him a look so murderous that it scared Joey. "Please, mutt. Please, just… go away." His face was passive, but Joey could hear the sorrow in his voice. It would be more natural if the brunet cried, or became angry, but the only hint of distress in his voice was completely controlled. Joey was slightly irked by Kaiba's lack of raw emotion.

Some rational part of him told him to go, leave the brunet to cope on his own, but when did Joey ever listen to his rational side?

"Kaiba," he said, moving to the side of the bed and sitting down, "I-"

"Just fuck off!" The CEO said, suddenly exploding with anger. He threw out his hand, pushing the blonde back. However, Joey stayed where he was. This, seemingly, made Kaiba even more pissed off. He clenched his fists angrily and shouted, "Joey! Go away! I don't want you here; I don't _need _you or your pity. Just-"

Suddenly, Joey brought a hand up and pressed it to Kaiba's mouth, cutting off everything he was saying. "Shush, Kaiba," he said, gently taking his hand away. "Calm down."

"Calm down?" The brunet hissed, voice growing more and more angry with every word, "_Calm_ _down_?! My fucking _brother _has been taken away, and you're telling me to calm down?!" He shot a venomous look at Joey. "Wheeler, I've had it up to here with you messing around in my life! Can you not just leave me the fuck alone and do your damn job?"

Joey, simply ignoring what the CEO was saying, reached up and gently tugged on his arm. With his other hand, he gently patted the space beside him. "Sit."

"I'm not a _dog_," Kaiba replied, crossing his arms to show he wasn't going to listen to his housekeeper.

Rolling his eyes at his choice of words, Joey said, "Kaiba, I am not your enemy here."

"Yes, but you're bloody annoying."

Exhaling slowly to keep his temper down, Joey reached up again and pulled Kaiba's wrist towards him, more forcefully. Reluctantly, the CEO sat back onto the bed. If was he to be honest with himself, he had to admit – he was pretty impressed with how Joey was coping right now. He just wanted to take out his frustration on anything and everything, but the blonde wanted to _talk_, something so normal it seemed out of place at such a time.

"What happened?" Joey said simply, trying to keep his voice at a civil volume.

"I _told_ you, idiot. Mokuba's gone. Gone forever and he's not coming back."

"You don't know that!" Joey said, not able to think of anything else to say. "There's still hope! When did they take him?"

"When you left. There was no warning. They came, and took him. Three men in suits."

Joey mentally cursed his timing. If he hadn't been away that morning, he could've at the very least been there for Kaiba. He had promised, hadn't he, to help the brunet. "I'm sorry I wasn't there," he said softly, not catching Kaiba's eye. "I promised I'd help, and I was more than useless."

The brunet shot him a semi-surprised look, "There's nothing you could've done. I-I tried to stop them, but…" He pressed his hand to his stomach. "They were very keen on physical force."

"Shit," Joey exclaimed, as Kaiba lifted up his shirt and revealed a print the size of a shoe on his abdomen. The redness of the impact was rapidly turning into a bruise. "They did that? You must've been pretty distressed."

"Distressed is putting it nicely," Kaiba said, dropping the shirt back down and sighing.

"Do you want some ice?" Joey offered, trying to help Kaiba. His effort at consoling the brunet shocked him; he thought it would be a bit more emotional. Not so… calm.

"No, I think I'll leave this as reminder at how I failed at being a brother."

The comment caught Joey off guard. He could hear the bitterness in Kaiba's voice. Placing a hand on the brunet's shoulder, he said, "Kaiba, I know you're feeling upset, but-"

Suddenly, Kaiba cut him off. "Upset?! How would _you_ know, Wheeler? You can't just console me with empty words. You have no _fucking _idea what it's like!"

"That's where you're wrong Kaiba!" Joey shouted, finally feeling his temper rising rapidly. "I know exactly how you feel. I have a sister, I _know _how hard it can be to have someone you love taken away."

"No you-" Then he caught himself, realising that Joey _had_ in fact been through this very same scenario. Wasn't he so cruelly taken away from his little sister, Serenity, all those years ago?

"See? Kaiba, I know I'm not even half the brother you are, but we both love our siblings, and we both were separated from them. It may be too late for me, but you have a chance! I couldn't cope when I was a kid. I did many bad things, and hurt many good people, but the point is, I survived. I had no one, but you, at least have me." He gave a friendly a smile at Kaiba's stunned expression. "I'm not much, but I'm better than nothin'." Holding out his hand, and smiled gently, asking, "Please?"

Kaiba's gave a placid nod, unable to understand what Joey's outstretched hand meant. "What do I…?"

"Oh, c'mere. You're hopeless." Joey placed his hand over Kaiba's, interlocking their fingers. "There. You might be a genius, Kaiba, but I swear, sometimes…"

A small smile plastered Kaiba's mouth, but he let it fade as his rested on their hands. It seemed too surreal, the recent events. He went from exploring his feelings for Joey to his brother being taken away, and back to having odd feelings for his housekeeper.

"Hey Kaiba?"

"Yes?"

"Did you know, last night, that Mokuba was going to be taken away? Is that why you had so many documents?" The blonde found he couldn't bring his eyes to Kaiba's, so he kept them down.

Kaiba nodded in response. "I did. I knew there was a slim chance we'd find a loophole, but some part of me was adamant on finding a solution." He sighed. "All for nothing."

"No, Kaiba, it wasn't for nothing. We _will_ get Mokuba back," Joey said firmly, clenching his hand tightly around Kaiba's. "Do you believe me?"

The CEO glanced down at their joined hands, but didn't say anything for a few seconds. He thought of all Joey had done for his little sister, the hell he put himself through to obtain the money for her operation, and realised that when it came to family, Joey could be nothing but dead-serious. Eventually, he swallowed all his pride and replied, "I do."

"Good," was all Joey said, as he released the pressure on the brunet's hand ever so slightly, "Because you really have no choice. Tomorrow, first thing, we're going to do some background checks on these so-called social workers. It seems to me as they don't know the real Seto Kaiba."

Glancing almost incredulously at the blonde, he commented, "I'm beginning to think I don't know the real Joey Wheeler."

Joey simply gave Kaiba a friendly smile and another squeeze to his hand. "You will one day."

**Well this took me a while to write, most of the time trying to figure out how to approach it. It could've gone in a completely different direction if Mokuba hadn't been snapped away. It just felt that it was needed. This were too perfect for my liking.**

**As a side note, I want to add that while Kaiba may ****_seem _****OOC, I believe that because there simply isn't anything he can do about Mokuba anymore, and he finally acknowledges that fact, he will give up. It's not a Kaiba-like thing to do, but from his point of view, there is nothing money ****_can _****do in this situation against the law. Thus his desperation. But never fear, Joey Wheeler is here. :D**

**Thanks to all those who reviewed. I never though I'd get over 100 reviews. To all those who reviewed/faved/watched the previous chapters, you rock! :3 Oh, and really big thanks to TheGuardianKnux, who gave me the longest review I had ever received. XD Seriously though, it totally made my day reading it. Thank you so much! x3  
**


	13. Chapter 13: Joey's Idea

**Chapter Thirteen – Joey's Idea**

**Guys, I am so, ****_so _****sorry this wasn't posted up sooner. Between the worst writers block ever (no shit – six months!) and just a general lack of confidence in everything I tried to write for this, I'm not sure which slowed me down most. But, I'm back, and I intend to continue this to the very end, like I had promised to do. That being said, I'm not entirely happy with how this story went, but nonetheless I will finish it and ****_then_**** revise, otherwise it could take another six months. -_-"**

Joey awoke to a strong pair of arms wrapped around his torso. He opened one eye, Kaiba's peaceful sleeping face the first thing to greet him. He let a smile dominate his lips as he shifted his body slightly to get a more comfortable view. He looked more like a child than a nineteen year old multi-millionaire. His lips were parted delicately in an 'o', soft breaths escaping through them as he slept. Joey brought his fingers up to the boy's cheek and pushed away some hair that had fallen across his face.

Who would have known Kaiba to be so vulnerable? Joey hadn't expected yesterday to turn out quiet the day it did, but maybe the old saying was right. Bad news is just good news in disguise.

Mokuba may be gone – temporarily, he kept optimistically telling himself – but he finally managed to get to know the _real _Kaiba, to finally see the true person underneath the cold exterior. The proof of this development was sleeping beside him right now. Last night, after their discussion levelled off and the night began to wear on, Kaiba pulled the blanket over Joey and himself, and flicked off the light without any more discussions. The blonde had taken it as an invitation to sleep in the same bed, and moved closer to the brunet, resting one arm on his hip. He hadn't expected it, but Kaiba rolled onto his side and rested his own hand on Joey's side, and no more was said.

He was still confused as to where they stood together. Not quiet lovers, but with definite feelings, Joey knew that this was going only in one direction, but he had only one chance to get there. After all, not three months ago he had thought Kaiba saw him as a lowly rival. Things were moving fast, but Joey wasn't one to sit around and wait.

"Wheeler?"

Joey gave a start as he saw Kaiba's eyes, now open, albeit tired. He gave the blue-eyed man a smile. "Morning."

Kaiba wasn't obviously used to this intimacy. He flushed and pulled his arms away from Joey. "Sorry…" He muttered. "You could've pushed me away."

"Yeah, and you'd probably have suffocated me in your sleep." Joey laughed, and sat himself up in the bed. They hadn't even bothered to close the curtains last night, so the room was flooded with sunlight.

"What time is it?" He asked, noticing Kaiba reaching for his phone.

"Nine." The brunet answered. He seemed intent on finding something on the device, so Joey slid out of the bed and went to get dressed. He picked up his clothes on the way out, but as he reached the door, he heard Kaiba call, "There's some shirts in the wardrobe… If you want them."

A smile spread across Joey's face as he changed his path and instead ducked into the CEO's wardrobe room. He took that comment as Kaiba's way of saying 'my shirts look good on you'. To be honest, they were slightly bigger than Joey's, but, _god,_ were Kaiba's clothes comfortable.

He re-emerged from the room several minutes later, wearing several of Kaiba's clothes. The hoody was too baggy, but for some reason it suited the blonde, so he put it on. Kaiba was still on his phone, but upon hearing the blonde approach he locked it and tossed it aside.

"Will I make breakfast? Before we start?" Joey noted Kaiba's hair was slightly mussed from sleeping, and smiled secretly to himself. Joey was starting to find reasonable explanations for his feelings for Kaiba. Despite how impenetrable Kaiba was in the eyes of the world, he could be quite cute when it was just him, alone and open.

"Sure," Kaiba shrugged, and pushed the covers off. When he stood, he was once again taller than Joey.

The blonde went to move, but something stopped him. Possibly, it was his heartbeat, which decided it didn't like its normal rhythm and began to hammer against his chest. His cheeks turned pink as Kaiba caught his eye. "Yes?"

Joey went to speak, but found no words. All that was running through his mind was Kaiba. Kaiba, Kaiba, _Kaiba_. "Kaiba…" He said, trying to find the right words, "I just want to know…"

The brunet was looking down at him, his face composed and serious – you would never think such a man was capable of feeling anything.

Taking a second to re-gather his flyaway thoughts, Joey tried again, asking "I wanted to know if this," he gestured at the gap between Kaiba and him, "Is this just a…. a-a _thing _for you or-"

"Joseph Wheeler," Kaiba cut him off, losing patience, "I'm not a man to be toyed with. I don't like wasting time, or associating myself with people who I feel won't benefit me. I'm efficient in everything I do or have done. If I don't want or like something, I will quickly forget it." He brought his hands up to Joey's flaming red cheeks and cupped them, "If this wasn't something I wanted, Joey, would I saying these words to you?"

"N-no."

"Exactly," Kaiba said, "Now stop looking so nervous. We've got breakfast to make, my brother to bring back and, when _that's _taken care of…" He placed a gentle kiss on Joey's lips, and, saying no more, retreated into the bathroom.

Joey was left standing like a dumb-struck idiot for quite a while. He pressed a hand to his right cheek, feeling the embarrassment radiating from it. _Kaiba kissed me again…! _He thought, a sudden smile breaking out across his face.

He knew he should be worried for Mokuba, or concentrating on how they'd find him, but the only thought running through his head as he left the room was how he felt about Kaiba. Whatever he felt…

**oOo**

Kaiba felt he had savoured the shower heat long enough, and brought up a reluctant hand to turn it off. Although, he wished he could turn his mind off.

_It is his entire fault. _

He still hadn't a notion of what had happened to him. Once upon a time, he would have gladly admitted he hated Wheeler, but now… Those feelings of dislike and hatred hadn't been around for months now. And as he thought more and more about, he was beginning to wonder if he ever truly _did _hate the blonde.

Even now, the cold, indifference he could once hold so well had long since disappeared. What was once nothing but an uninterested attitude was now a thump in his chest, a strange squeeze in his stomach, a dryness in his throat…

He just wasn't sure yet _why_ he felt this way. Yes, he was attracted to him – it used to once hurt his pride to be attracted to another man, but once again that seemed to have disappeared - but physical attraction doesn't last forever. Wheeler wasn't too plain, though, he wasn't too attractive either. He had a nice smile, Kaiba granted him that, but he was scruffy around the edges.

The only thing he was certain was of what_ he_ felt – this new-found connection with Wheeler made him want to laugh, and it made him want to smile. It made him want to kiss him, to touch him, to see him happy.

But, most of all, it made him feel alive.

**oOo**

"So, what do you propose we do?"

Kaiba was just finishing off his coffee when Joey asked him the question. He was leaning forward on the breakfast bar, arms crossed and his face now deadly serious. Swallowing his drink, Kaiba replied, "I had hoped you had some say in this. I can tell you have a theory."

Joey feigned shock. "Me? But, Kaiba, I'm just a mutt." He tried to act hurt, but the grin was teasing at his lips.

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba replied, "Yes, yes, you're just a mutt. But, you know, dogs have such a keen sense of smell. Do you think you could pick up on the scent, or…?"

It was Joey's turn to roll his eyes. "So funny. I can see why you're so renowned for your jokes… I actually _do _have a theory."

Kaiba leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest. Today, he wore he plain white shirt which hung loosely on his shoulders. Joey was silently admiring it. "Go on…"

"I don't think Mokuba was taken away by the adoption agency."

That got Kaiba. He jumped forward and slammed his hands down on the table. "Joey! I was _there_, and I saw-"

"I know what you saw, Kaiba, but I don't think they really were an adoption agency. There isn't a legit agency under the sun who would take Mokuba from you. You have more than enough money; he's healthy, loved _and _extremely happy. Tell me, what social worker couldn't see that?"

Kaiba relaxed his body once again. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"That's not all, though," Joey continued, "I don't think that Mokuba is being sent to a new foster family; I think he's being held as a captive."

Frowning, Kaiba asked, "Who would hold him captive? We have no clues, Joey. We know nothing!"

The blonde smirked, and reached his left hand up his right sleeve. He pulled out a piece of paper, rolled up. Kaiba's mouth twitched with a smile. "I _knew _there was a reason you picked the baggiest hoody…"

Joey unrolled the paper, and Kaiba recognised it as his rejected adoption form. "I found it when I was getting dressed."

Kaiba caught his gaze, confused. "What good is this anymore?"

"I figured," Joey replied, folding the paper back up again, "we could start with seeing who was intercepting your mail."

**It's… ****_finally…_**** Uploaded. :D *throws party* Joey would look in cute in an oversized hoody, nyeh? **


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